The Memory
by Sir Edward
Summary: “Aeris! I know you are afraid! Maybe not of death, but of what might happen to me if you where to die. Know this, if this is the only thing you get out of this conversation, other than that I am a stubborn bastard, just know this: I will move on.
1. Chapter 1

The Memory

"How fucking long does it take to deliver a god damned pizza?" shouted Barret in his deep husky voice.

"I hope it comes soon, because I'm hungry," Tifa said.

" Who cares as long as it gets here," said Cloud, his Mako blue eyes glaring at the door, his thin, muscled arms crossed over his chest.

Finally there came a knock at the door. Barret looked at it and said,

"I'll go give him a piece of my mind the little…" but Tifa interrupted him.

"Don't be mean to him, he is only doing his job!"

"I'll do as I please! I hate when they get here late. They said the pizza would be here at 5:30! It is 6:25 now! Please! I am going to answer it". He stormed to the door. Cloud and

Tifa heard the door slam open, then Barret's deep voice booming down the hall.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS! YOU ARE 55 MINUTES LATE! I'M STARVING!"

Then Tifa and Cloud heard Barret check the box, and he started to shout again.

"I HATE ANCHOVIES! YOU LITTLE… ERRRRR! ..." Barret threw the box on the ground, and they heard a shrill cry of:

"Don't KILL ME! I don't want to die Sir"! Then the door slammed louder than it had been opened. Barret stomped back into the room, panting like a wounded rhino, his face drenched with sweat. Cloud looked at Barret for a moment, his cold blue eyes like ice, which made Barret shiver for a moment, not out of fear, but out of knowing what made them so odd.

Barret threw himself into a chair, it groaned under the weight and force he exerted on it.

"Fucking little idiot! I should have pounded him into the ground! Next time I will!"

"Barret, now that you made our food run off, what do you think we should eat?" asked Cloud, his voice emotionless.

"DAMNIT! I'll cook, and then we will eat!" He flung himself out of the chair, knocking it over in his rage.

Ten minuets later, the kitchen was quickly filling with dense black smoke. Barret came running out, bellowing various exclamations of "SHIT!" or "DAMN!" He ran and got the fire extinguisher, and ran back into the smoke. Soon the smoke wafted into the living room, and Tifa opened the window.

"Whatdidyoudointhere!" she exclaimed, as the nasty smell filled her nose. She coughed.

It took ten minutes for the smoke to dissipate enough to see. Then there was a soft 'tap' at the door. Tifa went to answer it, and said, "Who is it?"

"Aeris," came a sweet alto voice from behind the door.

"Oh kiddo, it's you! Sorry 'bout being so gruff. Come in, make yourself at home".

Aeris stepped in, carrying a basket and making a face as the smell hit her.

"What is that bad smell?"

"My worst attempt at cooking, ever. I have never had to cook since Myrna died." Tears began to fill Barret's eyes as he said Myrna's name. Tifa went over to him, putting a strong reassuring arm around his shoulder, which was hard because he was much taller than her.

"It's okay Barret, she's in a better place than this horrid world now, you don't have to worry about her. You will see her in heaven, when it is your time." She tried to comfort him, but her words only made him cry.

"Look at me! A big tough man, breaking down to tears! I am supposed to be strong, strong for Marlene, but I am the biggest wuss! I just have to mention her name, and I start blubbering like a baby!" He sank into a chair near him, and accidentally dragged Tifa with him, because he had forgot that she was holding onto him. He put his head into his huge hand, leaning it against the chain-gun that was his right hand. Tears continued to flow down his dark face. Aeris put the basket down in front of him, and said as cheerfully as she could manage (it was hard to see him cry), "I brought your favorite kind of steak. I think you will enjoy the recipe I made with it. Come now, it is okay to cry." She patted him on the shoulder, and started to unpack the basket.

"Aeris, do you know if Vincent or Cid, Yuffie or Red Xlll will be back"? Asked Barret, lifting his head and taking Aeris' hand in thanks.

"I do not know," she said.

"Cid and Yuffie are at the bar, what with Yuffie only being 16! I bet you that Cid made a move on her when he was drunk, and ended up in a ditch somewhere! He's twice her age! She's not even allowed in bars," said Tifa, who shook her head.

The door suddenly began to shake violently, as the person who was knocking was doing it really forcefully. Then the door swung wide, and Cid flew into the room, headlong, landing on his face, and laying still for a second. Then he belched, indicating that he was not hurt too badly, and said, "Welllll…. Ex… cuse…me!"

Yuffie walked into the room, stepping on Cid as she did, and he groaned. She pretended not to notice.

"Hiya! How's it going?" she asked, as she trod on Cid's head, and going to hug Tifa. Cid moaned, and stirred, but didn't get up. Aeris stepped over to Cid and knelt down, drawing out a small vial from a pocket as she did.

Cid glanced up at Aeris, and started to drool. "Hey babe… could I he…lp you take… that dress off…?" He slurred his words badly, as he eyed her chest.

"You're a pretty…one…soooo how's…boutit…kay?"

"Thank you Cid. Will you please open your mouth?" she asked, politely.

Cid thought, _'Shouldn't I be the one asking her to open up_?' But he opened his mouth, and Aeris dumped the contents of the vial down his throat. Cid spluttered and coughed, then he shook his head violently from side to side.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? WHY CAN'T A POOR OLD, DRUNK PILOT, GET ANY PEACE 'ROUND THESE PARTS?" He jumped up, and massaged his head.

"Damn my head hurts! What is that about? Hangovers aren't till in the morning!"

Then he caught the smell of food on the table.

"Yum! I smell FOOD! YAY! Food! Can I have some?" Cid dropped to one knee, hands clasped out in front of him.

"Yes Cid, you can join us. Come eat with Yuffie."

"Ummmm… Smells good. I think I'll join you."

As Yuffie walked by Cid, he mysteriously fell over, without warning. As he scrambled to get back up, he tripped over the fallen chair, and hit his head. He made a face, biting back a curse, but failed, and shouted, "GOD FUCKING DAMNIT YUFFIE!" He glared at her furiously, and she batted her eyelashes at him.

"What Cid? Mad at me because you don't have a sense of balance? I'm 16, you can't get mad at me for getting you drunk, because I am not 'allowed' in bars." She smiled fondly at the pilot as he sat down next to her.

"Where are Red Xlll, and Vincent and Cait Sith? Are they coming?" asked Yuffie, who looked out the window, and noticed it was raining. As if in answer, a shadow crossed the window. It looked vaguely human, with a billowing cape. Cloud jumped up, reaching for his overly large sword that was almost as tall as him. It was shield like in its width, and extremely heavy. He hefted it with ease, as a red and black blur flew through the window. It was Vincent, his long cape fluttered as he did a beautifully timed somersault, landing a few inches from Cloud.

He looked Cloud in the eyes, looked at the sword, and nodded to Cloud, as if Cloud's sword was a hand out for greeting, not defense. He sat on Yuffie's other side, and helped himself to some ribs. He ate carefully, and with deliberation. Cloud put the massive blade away, sheathing it neatly into the scabbard, not even bothering to check to see of it had gone in, he just knew. His gaze fell on the newcomers, and then he looked at his plate, and began to eat. Conversation was sparse, and it was mainly Tifa and Yuffie who spoke. Vincent put in the occasional morose comment, or a spared word. Yuffie wanted him to talk, for some reason, Vincent Valentine; the tall, silent and darkly handsome man had a strange effect on her.

Ever since she had witnessed his transformation into Chaos, she had had this strange longing to know what he felt like. It was a little sexual, but mostly curiosity, for how could a man who harbors that kind of power and that kind of violence inside him, be a real lover? He barely spoke, and when he did, it was short, curtailed comments, that were completely logical, and usually right. He intrigued her greatly. She tore her eyes off Vincent, and began to eat as well, though she dropped a few ribs as an excuse to touch him, in hopes of getting him to speak.

Dinner was finished quickly, and Aeris and Tifa did the dishes. The rest of the party sat in the living room, talking of the day's events.

"Yah, I got the Highwind working again. We will be able to leave soon," said Cid. His eyes went misty when he mentioned the Highwind.

"Good! This goddamned place is getting on my nerves. I hate being confined!" said Barret, thumping down his mug of coffee, (which he takes black) and spilling it on the carpet.

"I have found more information about Shinra. They are moving to outside Nibelhiem, and starting a plant there," said Vincent, looking at Cloud.

"WHAT? They can't do THAT!" shouted Tifa, looking dismayed at the fact that Shinra would do such a thing.

"Yes, they found an abundance of Mako in the area," was the simple reply.

Cloud merely looked at Vincent, then he continued to lay his head against the back of the Lazy-boy he was sitting in. Tifa looked at Cloud with concern.

"You don't seem to care! For all it was the place we grew up in!"

Cloud looked up, and regarded Tifa with a look of utter relaxation.

"I am not afraid, because I know we can stop them."

"Are you so sure? You look all tough, but I bet it hurts deep in your apathetic little mind Cloud Strife! You hear about your hometown being in danger, and you just shrug it off like a mere inconvenience! I never understood why being stoic is such an appealing thing to you. You confuse me Cloud," accused Tifa, pointing a gloved finger at him. He simply looked at her again and put his head back.

"Please Tifa. You are giving me a head ach, stop the effing shouting," complained Cid as he lit up a cigarette, taking a long drag, and tapping the ember off the end. He blew four smoke rings, and took another drag. He looked at Yuffie.

"We didn't get much information, now did we, my little darling?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. I got quite a bit of it, while you drank yourself into and oblivion, and then hit on me in between drinks. I had to really restrain myself from just poisoning your next one."

"Aw, you wouldn't do that to me now would you, darling?" asked Cid, with a little look of panic written on his long face. "Or would you?"

"I most certainly was about to, if we hadn't left before I could get to your next drink," she replied, a look of mischief in her brown eyes.

"Well what did you learn?" asked Cloud, looking at Yuffie with interest.

"I learned that the locals are mad at the governor, who seems to be taking orders from Shinra, and they are looking for something they call 'Weapon'. I did not learn what the Weapon was, or why they are looking for it, I would assume for either killing things, or for digging for Mako. But I could be wrong…" Cid interrupted her,

"WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU LEARN ALL OF THIS? I TALKED TO A FEW PEOPLE AND LEARNED NOTHIN' ABOUT THIS WEAPON THINGY!"

"I talked to the guard at the door. It helps to be young, female, and cute. I teased it out of him with a few naughty things, and he gave in. He was looking kinda lonely anyways." She smiled wickedly, and laughed.

"YOU LITTLE FLERT! YOU 'TEASED' THE GUARD! YOU ARE WORSE THAN I THOUGHT!" raged Cid, who dropped his cigarette on the floor, because it had fallen out of his mouth.

"I accept your gratitude Cid, you don't have to be so kind, and shower me with praise like that," she said, shooting daggers at Cid, leaning in close to him.

"If it had been left to you, we all would have not known about Weapon! Be happy one of us was doing our job," she added in an undertone that only Cid could hear.

Cid looked taken aback by this comment, and he looked away.

"Yah, yah. Good fucking job, blah, blah, blah. You win. Good job."

Cloud looked at Cid and shook his head, then returned to napping.

"Is that all?" asked Barret, who had taken over Cloud's spot as the leader because Cloud was in need of sleep, so he let him rest.

"Yes, that is all Barret. I have no more useful information. I am tired, it is late, and I want to sleep." Yuffie looked at the clock, and saw it indeed was late; it was around 11:37pm.

She yawned, and left the room, and went to bed.

"You had a rough night I take it Cid? You'd better watch yourself, or she might slip you some poison," teased Tifa, grinning at him.

"I'll 'slip' her something, next time I get a chance. She is a feisty one that one. I am taken!" said Cid, who couldn't take his eyes off of Yuffie's bedroom door.

Tifa looked at what he was staring at, and said, "I seriously would watch your self carefully then, because getting that close might be painful."

"Yah, painful in a good way," replied Cid.

"Okay, suit yourself. I am going to bed as well." Tifa looked at the rest of the group, smiled cheerfully, and went to bed.

"We leave tomorrow then?" asked Barret.

"Yes, tomorrow," Cid muttered, still staring at Yuffie's door.

"Good, then I'm off to hit the sack." Barret heaved himself out of the chair, and went to his room.

Cloud woke at that moment, and without saying anything, left to go to his room.

"Good night," said Aeris, and went to Tifa's room, because they shared a room.

"Vincent, you sleeping tonight?" questioned Cid.

"No, I have things I must contemplate."

"Well, see you in the morning."

"Good night," said Vincent.

Cid walked over to Yuffie's door, and jiggled the handle.

"Damn girl. Locked the door," he muttered, before wandering off to the spare room where Cait Sith and Red Xlll slept.

Vincent glanced out the window, and then sat back, looking at the door. He let his eyes glide around the room, before he went to the window, and crawled out. He had something he needed to do…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Vincent slipped onto the roof of the building, and scurried along the tile. The rain pelted him, soaking him, and making it very slick on the shingled roof. He leapt from the edge, a ten-foot drop, without sustaining even a scratch. He straightened from his crouch, unfurling six feet of Demonic power. In his hand, the gun he dubbed 'Peace Maker' at his side. He walked erect, with a noble bearing, and a powerful stride. He walked unseen, among the shadows, and kept quietly to himself. He passed a few Shinra guards, who where drunk, and yelling loudly to one another. One of the guards spotted Vincent, and mistaking him for a woman, yelled,

"Hey bitch! You know ya wan' some-o this," and pointed his index finger at a private place. "Come an' gettit!"

Vincent looked at the man, and said, "Clearly you have no taste in women," and walked on, the guard looking dumbfounded.

"Bitch, get back here! You ain't leavin' so soon."

The guard pulled out the taseing rifle from its holster, and took aim. His finger slipped on the trigger, and the taser let out a blast of energy. It hit Vincent squarely in the back of the head, and he toppled forward, nearly hitting his head on the ground. He let out a roar, and leapt to his feet.

His body began the involuntary change into Chaos, fighting the demon's will with his. The Demon's sadly (for the guards) won. Vincent's face went feral, and he sprouted long, flaming orange hair. His skin changed to a gray hue, and his canines grew into dagger like fangs. His red eyes glowed with infernal light. He grinned at the astounded guard, and smashed his head through the brick wall behind him. The other three guards fired the tasers at him, and his Demon shirked them all off. He belched forth gouts of flame, singeing both guards before they ran. He watched as they ran, feeling the Demon slowly drain from him, taking a great chunk of his energy from him. He fell to his knees, and put his head in his hands. He wavered for a moment, and then picked himself up. He felt a little shaky on his feet, but got his bearings, and started out again. He walked toward a large building, made of shining glass, and metal framing, tall spires of some lustrous metal, gleamed in the moonlight. It was an imposing building, with an air of domination about it. It was the Shinra headquarters in this large city. Vincent had one thing on his mind… to get in and find the plans to the Mako reactor, and to steal a copy of them. He wanted to do it alone, in hopes of doing it quickly. He knew his way around the building almost as well as the guards who patrolled it day and night. They never needed to sleep, never needed to eat, and never needed anything… Vincent knew they would be hard to get past, and knew he could potentially get killed doing this, but he needed his revenge.

He walked quietly up to the door, and jimmied it open with his clawed hand. It swung open without a sound. He surveyed the hall it led into… not a soul was in the room. He strode in, and slipped behind a guard desk, peering over the top, as one of the robots came into the room. It scanned the room with lasers, and disappeared back into the adjoining hall. Vincent waited another minute, then stood carefully, and crept down the hall, passing the robot's wing, and kept going. He came to another locked door, but this one needed fingerprints. He looked meticulously around the scan, and on the scan, and finally found what he wanted. It was a small wire, most people would miss in this light, even the most experienced burglars and thieves would have found it difficult, but since Vincent could see quite clearly in the dimmed lights of the building, he found it quickly. Down went his claw, and it sliced the wire cleanly, making it easy for him to cover his tracks. He then took out a small metal rod, and inserted it into each of the four small holes around the outside of the box. The face of the scan fell into his opened hand. He quickly fidgeted with a few of the wires, and he heard a soft click, as the door unlocked. He went to the door, and propped it open with a shoe, and went back to the machine. He then put the face back on, and fixed the wire that gave its scanning unit power, sealing it with black tape, which made it look almost the way he had left it. It would take observation from anyone to notice the tape. He retrieved his shoe, and put it on, and went through the door. He immediately stopped, for another robot was coming his way. He slipped Peace Maker out of its holster, and clipped the silencer onto it. The hammer kicked back, and he pulled the trigger. With a muffled 'pop', the bullet flew forth, and put one of the robot's sensors out. A second shot essentially blinded the thing, and it went berserk and started to fire at random, He pulled the trigger for the last time, and blew it's face off. It crumpled into a heap, and smoked silently to itself. He damned his luck at finding one that would fire without a command. He dragged the broken robot into a closet, and ran as fast as his feet would carry him. He got to another door, and shot the lock out. He needed to get out of the general vicinity of the robot, because a platoon of them would arrive in just a few moments, to find nothing, and get back to their patrol. Vincent raced through the door, and ran to the nearest closet, and shut himself into it. He heard the metallic clang of feet on the tiles, and waited till the steps receded. He opened the door, and stepped out. He felt unsure of what he was doing now, and he knew he had to move even faster now. He ran inaudibly down the halls, turning down some, ignoring others, going through doors, unlocking, and jimmying, doing what he thought made sense. He found himself at the door of a lab, and he smiled. He picked the lock on the door, and opened it ajar, so he could look in. He found nothing to worry about in the room, and stepped in. The lights flashed on before he knew what had happened, and he looked around wildly, and saw a small man holding a high-powered taser in his hands. He smiled at Vincent, and nodded. He flicked the lock on the gun and motioned to Vincent to drop his gun. Vincent thought fast, and dropped the gun, and fell to the ground to retrieve it, and fire. The man was too fast for him, and got him in the chest with a ray, and Vincent felt his skin burn, before darkness overcame him.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" The man bent over, picked up Vincent's gun, and chuckled at the inscription on the gun's barrel, which said 'Peace Maker'. He grinned as he pocketed the gun, and dragged Vincent off to a large room made of some sort of highly break-resistant glass, and threw him in.

"I know who you are Vincent. You are a dead man when I am through with you. You will feel the full wrath of Shinra's power, and then you will know not to mess with our might!"

The man shut the door on Vincent's unconscious form, and walked away mumbling to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The party woke early, to find that Vincent had left. Cid told the group that Vincent had sounded a little preoccupied last night, and did not go to sleep. Yuffie looked shocked at the fact that he didn't sleep, and seemed to be out still. She grimaced when Cid told her that Vincent slept very little, even when he did.

"Two or three hours of sleep, and he is awake, and rested. I don't know how he does it."

"It is a little creepy," said Tifa, who shivered at the thought of only needing two hours of sleep. She liked sleeping…

"But, he is just a night person, that's all," Yuffie added. " I think it makes sense, having found him in a coffin in a run down and condemned building… No light in there… He just got used to perpetual nighttime. I personally find it a little interesting…" she let the sentence drop, before she finished it.

Cid looked at her, and shook his head.

"You like that? How could you? He scares the crap out of me, when he fights with us against the monsters on this ridiculous planet! It's like having a monster with us all the time… Now don't get me wrong…" he never finished the sentence, because Yuffie put her fist into his face.

He jerked back, and lost his balance, but managed to recover before he fell, then he turned to Yuffie and shouted, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR? FER CRHIST SAKES! WHY?"

"Don't talk about people like that. I don't care who they are. Vincent is as close to being a monster as you are of getting in my pants! I don't want to hear you talk about anyone on this team like that again, understood?" Yuffie glared at Cid with a look that would make a bold man cry.

"GOD DAMNIT! YOU DIDN'T LET ME FINISH WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT COMPARISON? YOU MEAN YOU DON'T LIKE ME?" He took a moment to calm himself and continued, "Shit, and I thought I had a chance… Well I can't say as I blame you, I can make a right ass of myself… I'm sorry Yuffie." He looked down into her face, and shook his head.

Yuffie looked just as startled that those words had come out of his mouth as the rest of them. She stared into his grey-blue eyes and saw a different Cid than she had ever seen.

"You mean it don't you Cid? Oh! You're bleeding!" She pointed her finger at a small trickle of blood running down the pilot's face. She reached into the pocket of her denim shorts and drew out a tissue, which she wiped the drip up with, and then threw into the trash.

"This is getting weird," she said, sitting down and staring at the ceiling.

"It's just that we've been cooped up in this place for months… I dislike it as much as the rest of you," said Tiffa, who patted Yuffie on the shoulder.

"I am starting to really wonder about us…" Yuffie said, looking at the group.

Cloud looked at her and shook his head.

"This group was not formed to do nothing, Yuffie. I know that I at least have something I need to finish here before I die…" Cloud looked serious, and shook his head again. He looked at the rest of the party, and then glanced at Cid. "Did he say when he would get back?"

"Didn't know he was leaving. All I know is that he said he wasn't going to sleep last night. What do you think about leaving without him?"

"No! We can't leave without him… If you do, I stay too…" said Yuffie, stomping her foot, and looking at Cid.

"Well then what do you propose to do… if he isn't here by 3:00 today, we leave without him…" Cid persisted.

"Fine, but I stay… I don't want to leave him behind."

"Suit yourself sweet stuff, but we will leave without you too…"

"Stop being such a bastard! I don't want to leave without him because he is an important member of our team! He makes it easier to get around… He also has helpful advice when we are stuck," Yuffie said.

"That's it! We aren't leaving without everyone! We will wait for Vincent to get back. If that means forever then we will wait forever! Don't argue!" shouted Cloud, who startled everyone. He almost never yelled, and that made this time even more effective. Yuffie and Cid both gaped at him, Aeris jumped about a foot into the air, and Barret shot off a few shots involuntarily. Tifa merely nodded, as if she had expected him to break.

"Tsk, tsk Cloud! Not so much yelling. You shouldn't talk to your friends like that!" she said, looking at him and shaking her head so that her long brown hair swung back and forth.

Cloud looked at her, and looked away. He shook his head, and said,

"I am not sure what just happened. I am sorry."

"It's okay, just don't yell. You frightened poor Aeris half to death doing it. You okay honey?" She looked at Aeris, who had a hand over her heart, and was breathing fast. She looked at Tifa, and nodded without speaking.

"You sure? Did Cloud scare you?"

Aeris' eyes went wide, and she shook her head.

"Vincent," she said on a whisper.

"What about him?" asked Barret, who gave a worried glance at the young woman.

"He… He… He is trapped! I don't know… I don't get it… He's in a shield cell… Not able to get out… Lost… I just don't know." She began to tremble violently, threatening to fall from the motion. Cloud jumped up, and in a completely un-Cloud like action, grasped Aeris' arm to keep her from falling. Concern was etched into every line on his face. He looked her in the eyes, and asked gently,

"Don't know what Aeris…? Are you okay?" He held her like that for a moment longer, and then noticed that she had stopped shaking. He let her go, and she looked at him, and shook her head.

"He was… talking to me… I did not understand him… He kept saying something, and I couldn't understand…." She started to shake again, but this time she cried, and shook her head quickly back and forth. Cloud's concern deepened as he watched this, and he stood close, in case she fell.

"Is that what you don't know? Is this what is hurting you now?" he said even more softly than the last time. His eyes had the faint hint of mist in them, as if he might cry too, but he kept them back. He put his hand on Aeris' shoulder, and looked her in the eyes again.

"Tell me… Is this what pains you? Is this the thing that makes you cry, and shake so?" He desperately wanted to know, but he did not let that show on his face. He needed to know.

Aeris nodded, and fell forward, her knees giving way entirely. Cloud grabbed her around her middle, and then, as if he held glass, carried her to the couch. He laid her there, and turned to the others.

"We must find Vincent! This is not a good thing… We are going to need all the strength we can get… We have a lot to accomplish." He looked from one shocked face to the next, and he nodded. He moved to the door, and beckoned the rest to follow. He opened the door, and walked out. Tiffa looked at Aeris, and saw that she had fallen asleep.

"Aeris is lucky to have such a guardian. Cloud cares so much for her, and doesn't even know it… I don't understand this whole mission. It is only meaningful to these two." She shook her head, and headed out after Cloud. The others followed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Vincent paced back and forth, scowling at the shield cell that surrounded him. He kicked it with all his might, and sustained a bruised big toe, not harming the shield at all. The man, who had taken him captive, was watching him. Vincent wished he could reach out and smash the grinning face into the concrete floor until it was not a face anymore. The man had jested him, and disrespected his wife. He had made faces at him, and poked fun at his life. The man was forever asking him questions that he refused to answer, and the man scoffed and told him that he wouldn't feed him until he did.

Vincent finally just sat down and began to meditate. The man, deprived of his fun, left the room, and turned off the light.

This kind of treatment to any normal human would have cracked them in a few weeks, but Vincent had only been there a night and part of a day, and he enjoyed the dark.

Vincent stood up, and stepped to the shield, eyeing it with hatred. He willed his Demon to come; he opened himself to its approach. He felt the searing heat of the Demon entering his mind, and taking over his body and soul. He transformed, and grinned in derisive pleasure. Then with the single-mindedness of a brute, his Demon slammed at the shield, and it bucked and wavered, but it never gave. Then the Demon summoned its power to it, and belched forth an inferno of flames. The shield glowed brightly for a moment, then dimmed to nothing. The Demon bellowed with glee, and stepped to the barrier, only to get shocked, the blast sending the Demon into the wall, and with a sickening thud, it hit the ground.

The lights to the room flickered on, and the man walked in.

"Impressive! I have not seen anything so frightening in my life! Good for you Vincent!"

The Demon flew at the barrier, its arms raised ready to strike. But another blast sent it flying back, and it hit the wall again.

The man didn't even flinch as the Demon had charged. Instead he smiled that shit- eating grin of his, and said joyously, "Tsk, tsk Mr. Demon… You should know better than that! Are you sad Mr. Demon that you can't get out? Are you angry with me Mr. Demon? Because I have a friend for you to maul! You two can rip each other to shreds! Sounds fun to you Mr. Demon, doesn't it? You like destroying things? I know I do." The man turned to the door, and shouted, "Guards, bring in the Cat! On the double Lads! Move it, move it, move it! I want to see this reaction." He grinned at Vincent, who had changed back to his human form.

"Oh! Look who came back! Where did Mr. Demon go Vincent? Did he get tired of playing, and leave you alone again? Good thing I found you a play mate!" Solders marched in, trailing a large red cat behind them. He was wearing a muzzle, and his paws had been covered with special material, to keep him from scratching.

To Vincent's great surprise, Red Xlll stood before the barrier now, looking completely dejected and saddened. The guards pushed a button on the wall, and the shield changed to a dull green color. Vincent rushed the shield, and was flung back by a blast of green light.

The man chuckled to himself, and smiled an even broader smile.

"This shield only lets things in, and never lets them out again. You should know this Vincent, but you are a determined little bastard aren't you? You will never escape!"

The guards threw Red Xlll through the shield, and it abruptly turned white again, the man smiled once more, and nodded to the guards to leave. They left, and he turned back to his captives.

"You know this thing, don't you Vincent? You know him, and you are shocked to see him. But that is to be expected… It is a little disconcerting to have your friends show up, but unable to get you out of here isn't it?"

Vincent merely turned away from him, and looked at Red Xlll.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

Red Xlll looked at him with a sad look, and nodded.

"Good night you two. Have sweet dreams of a freedom you will never have! The only way out of this one is death boys, and you can't do that either!" The man left, and shut the lights back off again, closing the door behind him with a thud.

Vincent looked at Red Xlll, and shook his head.

"Where is Cait Sith?"

Red Xlll looked at Vincent, and nodded his head at him. Vincent then remembered the muzzle, and reached over, and cut it off with his clawed hand. Red Xlll shook out his mane of hair, and gave a sigh of relief.

"He is nowhere to be found. I don't know what happened to him, but I know he wasn't around when the Shinra guards came."

"Are you sure he wasn't near by?" Vincent asked.

"He was gone, that is all I know. I was hit with a tranquilizer, and then muzzled, and padded. Those cowards are afraid of a Cat!"

"You're not exactly just any cat, they have reason for fearing you."

"Good point," said Red Xlll, who had removed the padding on his paws, and was showing his brutal claws.

Vincent smiled at Red Xlll, and laughed, as the red cat pretended to rip apart something, hissing and spluttering, and making a general fool of himself. This was not normal behavior for the cat, but under these circumstances, it fitted perfectly. Red Xlll was not usually violent, but his captors had not been nice to him, and he wanted to exact revenge, if it ever became possible.

"Our chance will come Red, don't you worry… I have no doubt that we will get our chance soon… It will be a sweet day when I can throttle that man… I have never hated anyone, not even Sephiroth, as much as I hate this man. Sephiroth I feel sorry for, but that won't get in the way of killing him when the moment comes…"

Vincent reached for his gun, and found it gone. He cursed under his breath, and shook his head. He needed to rest, for his legs felt like Jell-O, after his Demon had exerted so much energy on the shield. He sat against the corner of the wall, leaning his head against the brick. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep after a few moments of silence.

Red Xlll sat down on his haunches, and stared at the candle like flame at the tip of his tail. He was intrigued about it for a second, and then he settled himself on the ground for a short catnap.

They wouldn't wake until morning…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Cloud looked around at the empty street. His cool eyes scanned the area, half expecting to see this unknown adversary jump out of the shadows. His great sword was sheathed at his back, and its weight made him feel more comfortable. The others arranged themselves around him, looking from side to side. Aeris looked to Cloud, who was looking puzzled.

Then the sound of pounding feet caught their ears, and the party spun around. Cait Sith was running quickly toward them, a look of panic on his feline face.

"They got Red! They got Red"! He shouted, waving the big mogs arms in the air. He was afraid, and he needed to tell the group what had happened.

"Shinra's got Red! They got him! Quick! We have to save him"!

"What? Shinra's got Red Xlll? Where? Do you know where"? Asked Cloud, looking at the small cat that was perched on top of his huge mog.

"I only know that he is in the Shinra HQ. That is all I heard before I split."

The mog's huge fists waved furiously in the air. The cat waved a large megaphone, and his face contorted into a look of utter panic. He stared at the group, waiting for them to respond.

"The head quarters? Why would they bring them to the head quarters"? Asked Cid.

"How should I know?" panicked Cait Sith, shaking the mog's fist erratically, and almost hitting Cid in the head.

"I was just asking!" cried Cid.

"So Head Quarters here, or in Juno?" asked Cloud.

"I don't know! All I heard is that they have some weird dude, and Red Xlll! Stop asking me questions I don't know!"

"We need more information, before we just bust in to the Shinra building, and try to fish him out. I want to know all that you heard, and all that you know!"

"They where afraid of the guy they apprehended yesterday night, and they really didn't like what happened… Apparently, a soldier's head got put through a wall… and that got them into a tizzy… Then they found Red and I out by the big hill over by the north entrance, and they captured him, and I ran! I don't know anything else! I swear!"

"Then that's it! We will go to the Shinra building in town, and check there… We should find something out if he isn't there." Cloud looked at Cait Sith, and nodded.

The party did not notice the shadow that had been fallowing them. It crept out of the shadows, and headed toward the Shinra building with great speed.

"We go at night, and we will collect him, and maybe free this other guy. I don't know that we will, but anyone Shinra holes up, should not be left to the devices of Shinra's troops."

The party went to the apartment they had rented, and settled in, to talk about their plan. They sat, and starred across the room at one another. Cloud looked like he may say something several times, and didn't. Tifa glanced at Cloud, and shook her head.

Aeris was still asleep on the couch, and she had not stirred.

Tifa's eyes widened, and she looked at Aeris.

"Vincent's been caught to! That must be the second person Cait Sith was talking about! Aeris said that Vincent was trapped, and that he could not escape… That must mean that the other is Vincent!"

"Good thinking Tifa! That has to be it!" said Yuffie, giving Tifa an energetic hug, and smiling at the thought of retrieving Vincent.

"We will have to be careful so that we don't get caught and thrown in with them… I don't like being in jail, and I don't want to repeat it." Said Cid. He shuddered at the thought of going back into a cell, and shook his head.

"Sure as hell don't want to repeat that!" He pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with a match, and puffed on it thoughtfully.

"Would you do that outside, Cid? I can't breath with the smoke in the room." Aeris said quietly, making the group jump.

"Uh… Sure sweetheart, I'll leave for you." Cid looked at Aeris, and wandered to the balcony door, opened it, and stepped out.

Aeris groaned, and stretched, arching her back with her arms in the air. Cloud glanced at her a moment, and felt a pang of longing, which he quickly suppressed.

"You okay?" he asked, instead of doing what his body wanted.

"I feel… a little… um…" she shook her head to and fro in quick movements, so as to clear her mind.

"I feel okay I guess…"

"Can you walk?"

Aeris got up, and wavered a moment, but walked quickly to the group.

"Yes." She said.

"Good." Said Cloud.

"Is there a problem? I got a feeling there was a problem."

"Yes, we found out where Vincent is, and that they also have Red Xlll. We are going to get them out of there, and return here safe and sound. I know we will do well." Cloud looked unhappily at Aeris, and grimaced.

"I will help you… I have a bad feeling something more is going to happen, and I want to be there when it does."

Tifa and Yuffie began to get nervous, and shifted from foot to foot. Barret looked at Cloud, then at his gun arm, and then at the door.

Cid blew smoke rings and tapped his foot.

Aeris watched the others, and said nothing.

Cait Sith sat on his mog, and picked at his teeth.

Cloud checked the clock, and saw it was 5:00.

"We leave at 11:00." He said, and began to pace the room.

The party waited uneasily as the time wore on.

The group ate a fast dinner at 7:36, and hurriedly got ready to go.

Cloud packed his sword, a few potions, and a phoenix down, and one antidote. He also packed his two favorite materia, his Ice lll, and his Bahamut Zero summon. He also grabbed one of the All materia, and equipped it all to his sword, Heaven's Cloud.

Tifa grabbed her gloves, and equipped her Alexander summon, and her Bolt lll materia. She grabbed her platinum bangle, and put Bio ll into it.

Barret got his materia (Lifter summon, and Quake lll, with an All materia); Cid got his (Kjata summon, and his Ice ll materia). Aeris got Phoenix summon, Cure lll, Life ll, and Restore. Yuffie equipped Leviathan summon, Red Xlll's Fire lll, and an All materia.

It was around 9:20, when they had packed all that they needed. They sat and planed for the last two hours, and hoped they could get this done.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The shadow stalked into the building. It ran to the elevator, and pushed the 'up' button. The door slid open, and it slipped in, pushing the 'close door' button, then the '16 floor' button. The elevator whirred, and moved upwards. It stopped at the 16th floor, and the door opened. The shadow slid out, and crept to the large oak door. It knocked…

"Come in." came a smooth voice from inside the room.

The shadow opened the portal, and eased into the room.

It stood, facing the long dark wood desk, with a heavy-set man with graying blonde hair, seated behind it.

"They are come!" said the shadow.

"When?"

"Soon Master… Tonight… They plan now!" the shadow's cold voice drawled.

"Thank you, Raiden, you are dismissed!" the stout man said, nodding to Raiden as the shadow left the room.

"Good, good! I am so happy the little party will come join us!" The man punched a button on his desk, and shouted into a small microphone,

"Take the prisoners to Juno, and make it fast! I want a copter out in twenty minutes! You'd better get this one right Hojo!"

"Yes captain, I will get them to Juno without fail!" came the dry voice of Hojo.

"Good, I want them locked into the plasma cell on the 52nd floor. I want them to have bread and water, and I want to hear of any information they may spill in their desperate attempts to comply with us!"

"Yes. Do not worry so… I will get you what you seek, just remember your part of the bargain…"

"Yes Hojo, you can have the girl, and that half crazed beast-man, and the cat! Just do what you are told!"

"Very well… I will hold my end as long as you hold yours…" the line went dead, and the captain gave the intercom a look of loathing.

"Stupid man! Does he really think that Shinra will give up such a treasure-trove of knowledge? When his part is over, he will parish with the rest of Avalanche! We will keep the Cetra, and the cat and the demon man! We need him only for the science experiments we will be doing…"

He laughed an evil laugh, and threw his hands up into the air. He called for the guards, and told them to get the rest of the party. The troops nodded, and left the room, the man settling back into his chair.

"They will not interfere with my plans again! Not after Shinra is done with them!"

He pulled out a cigar, and lit it. He puffed on it, with malice in his eyes.

The party checked the clock, and decided to leave fifteen minutes early.

Cloud led the group to the street where the building was on. He looked around, and made sure no one was looking. When he was sure, he went up to the door, and scanned his finger on the pad. The sensor drifted over his finger, and then permitted him inside. He held the door for the others, and then walked in.

"How'd you get in?" whispered Barret in Cloud's ear.

"I am an ex-soldier… I have a file with them. That's how."

They looked around, and found that they had many options to search.

"Which way do we go?" asked Cid, glancing at Cloud.

"We need to go to the second corridor down the middle hall." Cloud said, as he watched for something.

"What're you looking for?" asked Yuffie.

"Guard bots."

They heard it before it got there. They all took cover, and the robot looked around, and then left again. Cloud motioned to Yuffie, who got up stealthily, and ran down the hall after the robot. Seconds later, she came back, and gave a thumbs up. Cloud stood, and the rest fallowed him down the hall. They reached the door that required the fingerprints, and Cloud scanned his finger again. The door gave a 'click' and the party went through. The robot had its back to them, so Yuffie snuck up behind it, and disconnected its power cord from its external battery. The life fizzled out of its eyes, and it fell forward, crashing into the ground noisily.

"Good one Yuffie!" whispered Cid, as the group passed the dead robot.

The party moved to the next wing, and looked down it. Cloud shook his head, and continued. They came up to another robot, and this one saw them, but Cid's spear found a home in its internal components, and it collapsed to the floor like the other one. Cid spat on the robot as he moved around its bulk. Cloud waved the group on, and moved along the corridor silently.

The party was unaware of a long shadow that fallowed them, without any sound. It watched the group, sizing up each person, and trying to decide whom to pick off next. It fallowed them, and pulled out a dart gun. It would make its move soon.

The group came upon a closet, and walked by it. They came to a long, dark corridor, and Cloud motioned to the group to fallow him down the hall.

Tifa was the last one in the group to go down the hall, and stayed at the back of the group to keep watch. The shadow slipped up behind her, and covered her mouth. Then it shot her in the back with the tranquilizer dart, and before Tifa could make an attempt to escape, or to warn the party about what was happening, darkness filled her eyes. None of the others noticed the small struggle, so the shadow sulked off with Tifa's body.

Cloud found the room he was looking for, and asked Yuffie to pick the lock, because it was a normal lock, and not a scan lock. Yuffie complied, and the door swung open. They all stepped in, and closed the door. Cloud looked at the party, and felt that there was something wrong. He did a quick head count, and found that one of them was missing.

"What the…? Someone's missing! Who is it?"

The group sounded off, and Cloud didn't hear Tifa's name.

"Where's Tifa? She's gone! Did we lose her?" he said looking at them with confusion.

The group looked around, and all shook their heads. Then Barret remarked, "She stayed at the back as a rear guard, and was right behind me the whole time! She must have been sidetracked, or we have someone fallowing us!"

"This isn't good. We can't stay in the building, we may not make it back out alive… I don't know what happened to her, and I don't know what we can do to find her…" Cloud said, looking concerned.

"WE CAN"T JUST LEAVE HER HERE!" shouted Yuffie, who had a look of shock at the idea of leaving Tifa behind.

"Yuffie! Be quiet!" warned Cloud.

Yuffie looked around, and flushed a deep shade of red, but who could see in the dim lighting.

"We have to! There is no way I want to lose everyone, and be the one to blame. I hate the idea as much or more than you do Yuffie. Don't complain."

Yuffie looked humbled at those words, and whispered an apology.

The party checked out the room, and found the trap door. Cloud opened it, and climbed the ladder, motioning for the rest to wait.

When he reached the top, he crawled into the duct, and moved toward the right.

He had been crawling for a few moments, when he encountered the upwards-pointing duct. He pulled himself into the duct, and wedged himself in it, so that he could climb up it by bracing against the sides. It took him a few seconds to figure out how to climb, but he did, and started up.

He reached the vent he wanted, and looked in. The room below was dark, save for a small flashlight propped in the corner.

Cloud saw the form of a lanky man, his pale skin tinged with the orange glow of the odd light. The man wore a black coat, and black pants. He was tugging on something, and having a little difficulty moving the object.

"Stupid girl! You are so awkward to move around!" mumbled the man, tugging again on the odd lump.

Cloud suddenly realized that it was Tifa! He almost made a sound, but choked it back. The man glanced at the vent, but didn't see Cloud, and hauled Tifa's body along the floor to what seemed to be a landing pad area. Cloud backed out of the duct he was in, and headed back to the room with the others.

When he got back, he found that the others where in a predicament.

Two robots had wandered into the room, and where surprised by the fact that they had found intruders there. One robot had a strong grip on Aeris; the other was holding Cid, who was struggling in vain to escape. Barret was trying to get a clear shot at the robots, and couldn't find an opening that he wanted to risk.

Cloud was right over the robots, and could get them if he could surprise them with a sneak attack.

He waited a moment, then burst out of the vent, bringing his sword to bear in a single fluid motion. The blade sank into the back of the robot holding Aeris, and then whizzed around and lopped the other's head clean off. Both let go of their victims, and fell to the ground, dead. Cloud looked at the robots with disgust, and then he turned to the group.

"I found Tifa. They are loading her onto a helicopter, and taking her to I don't know where."

"So do you think the others are in there as well?" asked Barret.

"I would assume so, but we can't risk anymore than we already have. We must leave and head for Juno."

The party fled the building, as fast as they could, disabling as many robots as they could on the way.

They got back to the apartment, and waited till the sun came up, for it was only 4:30.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tifa woke in the darkness, feeling cold and alone. She shivered as she tried to get her bearings on the situation. Something rustled next to her and she jumped, but her drugged body didn't comply with her demands. She only succeeded in rolling over, and that was not at all what she wanted.

"So you're finally awake," said a voice that was familiar, but it frightened her just the same.

Her eyes had not adjusted to the almost complete darkness, but she saw the dim form of a tall person, with what looked to be a cape.

"Vincent?" She let the question roll out of her dysfunctional mouth, but the person seemed to understand.

"Yes Tifa, I'm here, and so is Red Xlll, who is providing us with the meager light."

Tifa gave a groan, as blood rushed back into stiff limbs, and the prickling sensation felt like needles.

"Are you okay?" inquired Vincent, who put his hand on her forehead.

Tifa nodded her head against his hand, to indicate that she was okay.

"You aren't hurt?"

"No," she mumbled, trying to make her mouth work.

"They gave you a lot of the drug they used to knock you out. You're slurring your words."

"I feel like shit too," she said, rubbing her head, but was only marginally successful.

"So they've got three of us now," growled Red Xlll from the corner where he lay.

"They are very efficient at their job. I wouldn't have expected it from them," said Vincent, looking over at Red Xlll, and smiling weakly.

Red Xlll gave another growl, and Tifa managed to get over to him, and put her hand on his beautiful head, and scratched his ear.

"It's okay Red, they will pay dearly for what they have done." She continued to stoke his soft fur, and out of sheer bliss, he began to purr.

"You like that don't you big guy? I'm glad, because it comforts me as well." Tifa gave Red Xlll a brief smile, when the door opened.

A tall figure stepped in, and gave a small hand gesture to the occupants of the cell, and flipped the lights on.

"We have a third to feed? I don't know if we will…" He stopped, and stared at Tifa.

"My, my, they brought a pretty one didn't they? I wasn't expecting that!" Hojo

Then he moved over to the cell, and looked more closely at Tifa.

Tifa felt uncomfortable as his stare moved slowly down her form, and took in all that he wanted. She tried to cover herself, and he laughed.

"Why be so modest? You aren't when you are around them!" He gave her a wicked smile, and rubbed his hands together.

"We shall see about you… I could use you for…" he faltered as Tifa's fist slammed the cell, causing it to jump slightly.

"Oh! Such strong arms! Wow, you are quite a fighter I bet, and what is your name?" Hojo looked at her excited for a moment. His face drooped slightly, when she replied with a finger.

"And rude to boot! Wow, they must hate you! You look so nice… Yet on the inside is an ugly soul… Waste of beautiful flesh!"

"Shut up bastard! I hate you already! And I don't even know you!" shouted Tifa.

"Oh, you know me, you just don't remember… I did so much for certain individuals, and they also forgot me as well… I am not a well-liked person! But that is not the point!"

"Leave her be! You will regret the day that you captured Avalanche! You will pay the ultimate price for this!" said Vincent, his reddish eyes full of fire and hatred.

"Such strong words from hopeless captives! My, you are a lively bunch! Well, I just wanted to see the beauty the guards where talking about. She isn't much to look at when you know what she is like on the inside, isn't it true Vincent? I am not afraid of death Vincent! You know I would welcome it were it to come to me! My life has been miserable since birth! Do not threaten me with death!"

"You will die," was Vincent's reply, anger flushing his face.

"I wish it was so. But alas, you can't hurt me, and none of the others in this building have the right to, so here I will stay, and live!"

Vincent turned away, and sat against the wall. He lay back, and closed his eyes. He just wanted the man to leave.

Hojo turned to Red Xlll, and smiled.

"How are you, you pathetic excuse of a beast? Are you being treated well by your friends?"

Red Xlll shot daggers at Hojo, and stared at him until the man looked away. He made Red's blood boil, and Red Xlll was not use to feeling such anger…

"Well, no supper for any of you then!" He threw down the bread and the cups of water, letting them break, and fall all over the floor.

The three of them stared as their food fell onto the ground, outside their reach, but not out of sight. Hojo gave a morbid grin, and said,

"Let that be a lesson to your insolence! Next time answer my questions!"

He stormed out, turning out the light, and slamming the door behind him.

The trio, stared a moment longer at the spilled substance, and then turned away, stomachs growling.

"That man is evil! I can feel it emanate off of him like heat!" said Red Xlll.

"Yes, and there is something familiar about him… I just can't place it" said Vincent, taking a moment to think about it, then shook his head, and gave up.

"I want to kill him in the most painful way possible! I'll tear off his…" Tifa stopped before she went any further.

"Wow, Tifa! That mad at him already!" said Vincent.

"You saw the way he was treating me! I have every right to hate that man!"

"You do! I wasn't disagreeing! I just thought that it would take more to anger you so. You are not that angry a person Tifa! Don't become one. It is a hard habit to break," said Vincent, giving her a meaningful look.

"Well, I guess. But I still hate that monster with a passion that burns!"

"So be it then! Revenge will be oh so sweet! A rose by any other name would smell so sweet!" Vincent threw the Shakespeare line in, summing the idea of revenge perfectly.

They all looked at each other, and cracked up at Vincent's Shakespearian language, and then settled down against the wall, to get some rest.

But rest wouldn't be easy either, for Hojo walked back into the room, snapping the lights on, making Tifa and Vincent flinch from the sudden brightness.

"Answer my questions and I'll give you food. Don't and I'll leave, and let the guards play loud music down this hallway, to keep you awake! Your choice."

"TIFA!" shouted Tifa, looking angrily at Hojo.

"Tifa? A pretty name, for a petty girl… And how about you Mr. Puss?"

Red Xlll growled at Hojo, but reluctantly answered.

"Fine! Just FINE!"

"Good, now was that so hard? Here is your gruel, and water! Eat up, we wouldn't want to have to force feed you!"

Hojo pushed the button on the wall, and then slid the tray through the barrier.

He turned quickly, and departed, snapping the lights off as he did.

The trio ate fast, and then went to sleep.

It was hard for Tifa to get used to sleeping on a concrete floor, but she managed.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The group got ready to leave for Juno, and prepared for all out war. They found as many potions, and phoenix downs as they could, buying when necessary. They were going to storm the building, and take back everyone. It was vitally important that they defeat Shinra, and get Tifa, Red Xlll, and Vincent back!

"They will pay!" spat Cid, his fists shaking in rage.

"I can't wait to pump some Shinra guards full of lead!" Barret bellowed, his chain gun hand shining ominously in the light of the lamps.

"I'm ready!" Yuffie said, with an evil smirk in her eyes.

Aeris glanced up at Cloud, and nodded.

"Gyahhh! I hate Shinra!" Cait Sith complained.

Cloud gave a simple nod, and went back to routing through different cupboards, trying to find more potions. This was going to be the most dangerous task Cloud's group had done so far. He knew it would be hard, long, and possibly life threatening. His eye's shown with a dull fire, and a strange feeling of emptiness. It was odd to the rest of them, and even worse, because he never told them what he was thinking.

He kept shaking his head, as if silently arguing with himself, and mumbling under his breath. The group started to worry about him, and started asking him questions.

"Cloud? You okay buddy?" asked Cid, sitting down next to Cloud.

Cloud looked at Cid, and got up.

"No, I'm not" he said, and walked away.

"I just thought I could help!" Cid said, looking hurt.

Even Yuffie tried.

She walked up to where Cloud was seated, and sat on his lap. She looked at him with her big, sad eyes, which where full of concern and sorrow.

"Cloud? Why are you so sad?" She asked in a small voice, looking at him with pity. She pushed a few stands of hair out of his eyes, and watched him intently.

Cloud looked up, and shook his head. Yuffie decided to take the plan a step further, and gave him a gentle hug.

Cloud's body gave no reaction, and Yuffie felt very hurt.

"Why do you always have to be such a jerk?" She pushed away, and got off his lap, and stared at him.

Cloud raised his head, and looked her square in the eyes. Yuffie shuddered, for what she saw in them was unmistakably pain and sorrow. She saw in his eyes, his weakened will, and his burdens that no human should ever carry. She felt such guilt for her harsh words against a man who was fighting the planet itself, and some how managing to win.

"Cloud, why can't you ever be happy?" she said meekly, settling down on the floor by his feet.

Cloud shrugged, and maintained his silence.

"Will you ever feel true happiness? Is there anything Avalanche could do to help you? I hate looking at you, because there is always ice in your eyes. It hurts to look at you, because you are the one holding a burden that all should carry, and are handling alone. We want to help Cloud! But we have our hands tied if you don't tell us your troubles."

"Yuffie. There are so many things in this world that not even Aeris understands. You are asking the wrong person about something that fate has done. I am not a normal human, and I know it. I wake up every night, with nightmares that are not even mine. As for happiness, I don't know if I could ever feel happy. I am a tool, and tools are emotionless, and do not complain about stress. I am only doing my job."

"A job that is slowly killing you Cloud! Pain! Is that all you live for now? Pain? Cloud, pain is not the only thing in life! Can't you see? You are not meant to carry that burden alone! We are here for a reason! You even said it yourself a few days ago. You're scaring your friends! They are all so worried about you. Especially Aeris. You should hear her worry! I cried last night, and couldn't sleep, because Aeris was crying in the room next door. I went in to talk to her, and she was terrified that this burden would destroy you eventually. You may not be human, but the job is to big for any one being to hold by themselves!"

"I am afraid to give part of the burden to any of you. I fear more for you guys, more than I fear about my life. I don't want any of you to carry any piece of this burden. It is to much for any of you."

"Cloud! You haven't even given us a chance! You say that you don't want to hurt us, but you are still hurting us when you don't tell us! Aeris is so tired, and so sad now. I don't know what to say!"

"My actions are hard to explain. I am not under the false assumption that you guys are not able to take the burden too… It's just that I don't want you to suffer at my hands… And even though I say this, I still hurt, when I do not tell you and everyone what I am thinking about. I cannot always say what is on my mind."

"Yes I know that! But clearly something big is on your mind, and we are sure it isn't something so private that you couldn't tell us! So tell. Tell me. You can trust me…"

"I trust you as far as I could throw you…!"

Cloud was cheering up despite himself, because the little ninja's antics where so strange to him.

"That's far enough! Please Cloud I am being serious. I know that every person out in the other room, would give their life up for you… If it was required, then they would pay that price, knowing that they helped save the planet. I just want to see you smile, and really mean it. I want you to laugh a real laugh, that echoes down the hall. I want you to be a real person, with real feelings…"

"Are you saying that I am fake?"

"No! I am just saying that you are only a shadow of a person, because a real person feels more than just pain. A real person feels love, and hope, and pride. Cloud, those are things that you are lacking… It isn't a bad thing, it just needs to change."

"Yuffie, I don't know what to think. You say so much, and it is true, but I still can't see that I should tell you what is going on."

Yuffie got up, and gave Cloud a quick hug, out of admiration, and then said, "You'll figure it out," and left the room, to let Cloud think over what she had said.

Cloud lay back on the bed, and sighed. She was right, but he didn't want to admit it.

Cloud gave a single snort, and shook his head.

"Why am I worrying if Yuffie's right? Does it even matter?" thought Cloud.

He stood, and left his room, and went to talk to Aeris.

When he knocked on her door, he heard a soft crying coming from in the room. He paused before he opened the door.

"Aeris? Can I come in?"

From what Cloud heard, she had moved off of the bed, and was coming to the door.

It opened moments latter, and Aeris stood, her face red and tearstained.

"I need to talk to you Cloud." Her voice was weak and trembling.

"I know. That is why I am here."

Aeris looked up into Cloud's face, with a confused look in her bright green eyes.

"How did you know?" she asked, her lower lip shivering as she did.

Cloud wanted to hold her, and comfort her, and tell her everything would be okay. But he knew it would be strange of him to do this, and instead shook his head.

"Yuffie told me."

"She did? I… I… Uha," exclaimed Aeris, waving Cloud to come in.

He did, and settled into a chair near her bed, resting his head in his hands.

"I'm worried about you Cloud… You are bearing to much of this…"

Cloud cut in, and said, "I know, Yuffie pointed this out to me."

Aeris looked shocked for a moment, then laughed.

"She must have seen it to! She is more observant than I would have expected… She is a smart girl, she just has too much energy."

"Yuffie is very exceptional," Cid said as he walked in.

"Cid! What are you…" she was cut off again.

Barret came in next, and stood next to Cid.

"Why didn't you tell us you where finally going to talk, Mr. Stoic Ass?" Barret said, giving Cloud a speculative look.

"What is…"Aeris didn't finish her sentence again, because Yuffie stepped in, smirking at Cloud with a glance of satisfaction.

"You finally going to speak Spiky? It took you long enough!"

"What is everyone doing in my bedroom?" asked Aeris, looking at each of the invaders in turn.

"We came to hear what Cloud had to say!" said the rest of the group in unison, all looking at Cloud with a desperate look, to see what he would say.

"I was coming to talk to Aeris."

"So, we want to hear it too Cloud!" said Yuffie, sweeping her arms in a semi-circle, indicating the rest of the group.

"I would've told you…"Cid cut him off and said,

"Bullshit! You wouldn't have said anything, had Yuffie not come to talk to you! It is time to stop sulking, and start moving your ass Cloud! We don't have time to wait for your sorry little ass!" Cid puffed the cigarette, then noticed the look on Aeris' face, and left for a moment, and came back without it.

"Sorry toots, I forgot. Bad habits die hard."

Cloud glared at Cid, and then shook his head.

"I know. I have been 'sulking' around, and not saying anything, and you all deserve to know what I am about to say… I think Yuffie is right… I think it is about time I gave some of the burden to you. I am struggling to maintain a strong and stoic attitude, even though I feel like this whole thing is worthless… I think we are fighting a losing battle, and I am pushing to an end I knew I would have ever since Janova… Sephiroth is just the end, the final push to defeat an already dying world… I have always had a pessimistic outlook on life, but lately it seems to have gotten worse. I am having worse nightmares than I have ever had. I stand here, a 'shadow' as Yuffie put it. I am nothing but a half-life, and I am barely living. I have not had a bad relapse since the number four reactor. But I have pulled myself farther away from those who support me most. You guys would give your lives if you thought it would make a difference. And for that, I am going to share the burden with you."

Cloud looked at each of them, and asked each in turn, "Will you take a piece of the burden of this world onto your shoulders, though it may hurt you, and you may possibly die?"

Each member agreed to share the burden, until he reached Aeris.

He stopped before her and shook his head. She looked at him questioningly, and then Cloud spoke.

"You have more of the burden then all of us Aeris. The planet chose you as its keeper. You should not share this one as well, because it would be more than anyone could handle. I think you know what I mean."

Aeris was confused a moment, then she nodded.

Cloud gave her one of his 'smiles' and turned to the group.

They all looked a little worse for ware, as if Cloud's question was a spell that had been laid upon them.

Cid's shoulders drooped a little more, and Yuffie's arms seemed to drag more. Barret looked more tired, and Aeris, though she had not taken any, was looking more wary. The only person who looked any better, was Cloud. His eyes had changed slightly, and glowed with more life, and more vigor. It was as if he really had given a piece of the burden to everyone.

Barret looked up, and shook his head.

"I'm goin' to bed." He got up and left the room, to contemplate what had just happened.

"Me too," said Cid, and he left as well.

Yuffie looked at Cloud, and he saw the sight pain in her eyes. She gave a vague smile, and said,

"You look better already. Maybe this burden really wasn't meant for just one to carry."

She left the room, and went to hers. Aeris looked once more at Cloud, before she drew the covers over her, and fell asleep. Cloud felt his body react, wanting to go lay down next to her, and cuddle her, to let her know that he was there. But again he resisted and left the room as well, to go sleep alone in his own bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tifa was awaked by the sound of guards in the room. They where all staring at her, looking at her thighs, and mumbling amongst themselves. She curled up tighter, hoping the scrutiny would stop. But one of the guards gave a moan, and all the others turned to see why.

"Put that away!" shouted the captain guard, smacking the private with a flat, broad hand.

The private turned away, and pulled up his zipper.

Tifa stirred.

The guards watched intently, and finally she jumped up, throwing her fist against the shield, and staring back at them.

The guards all jumped back a foot, and then looked foolish, and came back to the edge of the shield.

"Cowards!" she whispered at them, eyes narrowing.

"Man she's hot when she's mad! I got a stiffy from just looking at her!" one of the guards commented.

"Leave her alone!" growled Red Xlll, his fangs bared.

"Shut up cat! Don't you talk to us like that!" The guard bent so he could look into Red Xlll's eyes, and spat on his face.

Red Xlll leaped back, hissing in a rage.

"How dare you?" He looked about ready to shred the entire squad into pieces.

"What? Little Pussy don't like gettin' wet? Then shut the fuck up!"

"I'll kill you if it is the last thing I do!" shouted Red Xlll, pacing back and forth, with hatred in his eyes. "You don't scare me Pussy! I could kill all of you faster than you could say the word 'Mercy'! So shut the fuck up if you know what's good for you!"

"We've got to take you for bathroom breaks. So we will be letting one of you at a time out. Cat, use the fucking pan!"

The men hauled a huge cat litter box into the room, and shoved it through the barrier. Red Xlll looked humiliated at the fact that he was being treated like a domestic house cat.

"You. You come with us!" Shouted the captain, pointing to Tifa, and indicating to the guard behind him to open the shield. The men all lowered high-powered assault rifles, incase she tried to attack.

Tifa stepped out of the barrier, and the captain grabbed her hands, and cuffed them. He shoved her forward, and they began the slow march to the bathrooms.

One of the guards reached out and pinched her butt, and she jumped and gave a yelp, turning to deck whoever did it.

She found herself starring down the barrels of six rifles, and turned back around. The guards all laughed with glee at this. She decided that she would get her revenge on them all when this was over.

The guards poked her, and grabbed her, and all she did was ignore it. They were laughing at the idea of a 'gang bang', and Tifa feared for her life. They reached the bathroom door, and they shoved her through.

"You have five minutes Tits. Then we come in and get you. Whether you are on the toilet or not!"

She glared at the captain, as she went into the room.

On the way back was more sexual abuse, not the out right kind, but the subtle kind, that was more painful than the 'real' kind.

When they shoved her into the cell, and had taken Vincent away, she began to cry.

Her eyes filled with tears, and she lost control of herself.

She fell onto Red Xlll, who tried to comfort her, licking her hand gently, and speaking to her in a quite voice.

"What happened?" He asked, nudging her with his head.

"They where grabbing…"A huge sob racked her body, and then she continued speaking, her voice a barley audible whisper, that crackled like a fire.

"They where grabbing my butt! And I couldn't stop them!" She sobbed uncontrollably, and clung to Red Xlll for comfort.

"That is horrible! I am going to rip their throats out!" His growl was so fierce that Tifa moved rapidly from him, and curled up in the corner of the room.

"I'm sorry Tifa, I was out of control, please forgive me for the growl. I don't want to frighten you."

He got up, and moved over to her, and settled down next to her, to protect her from the guards.

They returned minutes after that, and threw Vincent bodily though the shield, his quick reflexes allowed him to avoid a massive face-plant, but he did bruise his elbows badly.

"Why don't you screw the whore? She'd eat you for free!" Spat one of the short men, contempt in his eyes.

"What ever slut made you, must have been pretty… Pretty FUCKED!" The guards all doubled over in gales of laughter, smacking their sides, and laughing till their sides hurt.

"You will pay dearly for this… When I exact revenge on you… You will wish you where in hell!" Vincent matched their contempt, and surveyed the guards with unbridled hatred. Each syllable was filled with a promise of vengeance.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!! YOU HALF BREED, FUCKED UP, UNLOVED, PIECE OF SHIT!"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT TO ME!" Vincent's blood boiled, and the Demon Chaos was echoing his words in an infernal language.   
Vincent's body went ridged, as the Demon over took him. His hands formed monstrous claws, his teeth became fangs, and his eyes became fire. He grew about two feet, and bulked up, densely knotted muscles flooded his thin frame.

The guards watched this with awe, and couldn't take their eyes off of him.

Chaos flew at the shield, slamming it with more force than the previous time.

The shield buckled outwards, and looked as if it would break under the intense rain of blows being administered on it.

One guard took out his gun, and shot a single bullet at Chaos.

The shot hit the Demon in the chest, where its heart would be.

Dark, black ooze flowed from the hole, and the Demon stopped its attack, and looked down at the hole. It reached down, and touched the thick blood that flowed freely from the wound, and fell. Its body hit the ground with a wet thud, falling into the pool that had been forming under it as it stood.

"I told you to shut the fuck up!" The guard put the gun in its holster, not caring that he probably just killed a man.

Hojo stormed into the room, anger etched into his stretched face.

His eyes fell on Vincent, who lay in a pool of blood, not moving.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU LITTLE MEN SHOT HIM!!!!!!!" He turned to the guards, who moved back a few feet, because they feared this man more than the dying Demon in the cell.

All those who where not responsible stepped back again, leaving the culprit to stand alone looking worried.

Hojo smiled.

"This won't hurt a bit" he sneered as he pulled out Peace Maker, shooting the guard in the stomach.

"YOU INSULENT FOOL! YOU HAVE GONE AND KILLED ONE OF THE TEST SUBJECTS!" Hojo's anger quickly subsided, and he ordered the rest of the men to bring the dying guard to the waste room, and leave him there.

"Come back, and get the dead one out of the cell, and clean up the blood! Don't let me catch you near these humans again!"

After the guards where done complying with Hojo's orders, they left, and did not look back.

Hojo turned to them, and smiled.

"So, now we have one less mouth to feed! It means more for you guys!" He left, and came back quickly, carrying a tray with gruel on it. He divided the third bowl in half, and put half in each bowl. He passed them though the shield, and pushed the emptied bowl in too.

"Enjoy your meals. You won't be cramped as much any more!" He smiled one last smile, and then departed.

Tifa and Red Xlll did not eat.

Both felt sick, and they both felt utterly lost. Vincent had died tonight, right here in the cell. It couldn't be real; it had to be a dream. When they woke in the morning, all would be right again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The party got ready quickly, and boarded the Highwind. Cid smiled happily as he boarded. He was happy to be in the air again.

The big engines began to hum, and then they started to purr. The large craft pushed off, and was air borne.

"Man it is good to be back up here!" exclaimed Cid. Ecstasy was the only way to describe the way he looked.

"Tifa! Vincent! Red! Here we come! To Junon! Fuck Shin-Ra!" Cid gave in a joyous cry.

Everyone was grinning at Cid's enthusiasm, and he ran around the ship like a little kid, making sure everything was in working order.

"Looks like all is in top order! Good! Now I can get us on a course to Junon."

He ran to the ship's Captain's room, and got them on course.

"We are on course Cloud! We will be outside of Junon in a little less than five hours. Then we kick some Shin-Ra ass!"

"Good, this will be the day…" growled Barret, his big hand shaking in anger, as he surveyed the destination chart.

"Five hours is too long! I want instant gratification. I want to punch in some Shin-Ra face! Screw five hours, can this thing go any faster?" Barret whined.

"Not if you want it to blow up, and us to all die in a towering inferno of flames, it can't." Cid gave Barret a sad look.

"I don't want to push the repairs yet… I don't know if they are up for full speed… We would have gotten there in an hour and a half or so at top speed… But I don't want to risk a devastating flaw appearing, as we get close… To die before we even get there would be pathetic!"

"There is no dying allowed!" Aeris glared at Cid, and hit him lightly on the shoulder for emphasis.

"I don't plan on dying at all! I am just saying that…" Barret cut off Cid, and said,

"No dyin' ya heard the girl! Don't go dyin' on us now!"

He started laughing, his large frame shaking gently from his jolliness.

The group passed time by holding small contests, and other little amusements, like Barret doing a 'roast' of the others, to break up the monotony, and the tension.

"Cloud, my buddy, if I was to wear your hair style, people would think me a freak! But if you was to wear dreads, they'da thought you one bad dude! Tell me there ain't a double standard there?" Barret waved a hand at Cloud, and the others broke into a fit of laughter, and Cloud looked up at Barret, and asked,

"Is there something funny about my hair?"

"No! I was just joking! Can't you see I was joking?"

"This is not the time for hair jokes! We are all…"

"Cloud! Don't ruin the vibe! I was just getting into it!" interrupted Yuffie, who glared at Cloud with a sad look, and then resumed her laugh, because she had looked at Cloud's hair.

Cloud shook his head, and laughed with the rest of them, trying to be more 'human' for the group's sake.

All the others stopped laughing, and were watching Cloud, who had looked at himself in the window, and imagined the style was on Barret's head, and couldn't help but laughing.

Cloud noticed that everyone was staring at him, and he looked at them with great confusion and discomfort. His laughter died, as he saw that they were shocked.

"Cloud? You okay man? We have never heard you laugh like that! You have changed since last night haven't you? It is amazing how a lessened burden can effect such a dramatic change in such a piss ant!"

Everyone laughed again, including Cloud, who found he liked the lighthearted joking, and the freedom it made him feel. He had experienced that only as a child, and then only briefly. But now his laughter was pure, and unrestrained. Everyone was amazed at how much Cloud had changed over the span of a night.

"Thanks for noticing, Cid. I'm still the 'stoic ass' that I used to be… Only I hope a more 'human' one. I still hate the situation we are in, and I still feel we are fighting a losing battle… But I will push forward, and do my damnedest to beat Sephiroth, and the vile corporation Shin-Ra! They both will fall by these hands!" He extended both hands out in front of him, and curled them into fists.

"Lets go and get them!" shouted Cid, waving his hands in the air.

"We have fifteen minutes till I open up a can o' whupass on those Shin-Ra pansies! I can't contain myself!" Barret looked out the window, and saw Junon waiting there, the Sister Ray a hulking nose on an emotionless face.

Fifteen minutes later, the group was off the ship, and heading toward the town.

Two guards stopped them, and asked for ID, but Barret just punched them out, and pushed the button to let them in.

"Man I feel so much better now!" he exclaimed, staring at the bloodied faces of the two guards as they were dragged off behind some bushes.

"Leave one for me next time!" cried Yuffie as she came back from helping Cid drag one guard to the bush.

"You got it! Next one is for you, okay?"

"Good! I can't wait!"

The party marched into town, looking ready to kill. People skirted them, in hopes of not getting involved in whatever thing they may want to kill. They got odd looks from guards, and others who where supposed to defend the city, but met no further resistance till they reached the Shin-Ra Head Quarters.

They marched up to the guards there, and demanded entrance.

"You can't come in! Leave immediately, or we'll be forced to shoot!"

"SCREW YOU ASS HOLE!" Barret brought his gun arm to bare, and leveled it at the guard's head.

The guards where shocked to see this, and were both wasted before they could move to unholster their guns. They fell to the ground, a round apiece in them.

Barret grinned at his own folly.

"That just made my day!"

"BARRET!! I THOUGHT THE NEXT ONES WHERE FOR ME!!!"

"Sorry, forgot! I'll defiantly let you have the next ones."

"I don't believe you for a minute! You get into one of your killing frenzies, and down goes the world!"

"Now I am a man of my word, I just need to remember!"

The group entered the building, and where instantly surrounded by guards.

Cloud's sword flashed around, cleaving guards down, and leaving gaps in their ranks. Barret shot through them, and left more downed than standing. Aeris shot bolts of lightning through the gaps at the remaining guards. Yuffie threw a few punches, and landed a few good kicks.

When the death spree was over for that moment, and they had regrouped, they looked at the damage. Cid sported a bloody nose, and Yuffie had pulled a muscle, and Cloud's sword was in desperate need of a cleaning. Barret was winded, and sweat was pouring down his face, but he was unscathed.

They had brought down eight guards, and a few robots. It was a mess in the lobby, and they where expecting to be set upon at any moment. But that moment never came.

They raced down the corridors, and found a man in a lab coat.

Yuffie ran up behind him, and grabbed his hair. She jerked back viciously, and threw the man on his back. She landed on him with a loud thud, and proceeded to pound his face in.

"TELL US WHERE YOU KEEP THE PRISONERS!!!!" She shouted, landing a powerful punch to the man's left eye.

The scientist struggled a moment, then cried out,

"On the 52nd floor! Please don't…"

Yuffie broke the man's nose, and threw him into a wall.

"Serves you right you meanie!"

They ran to the elevator, and got on. Cloud hit the '52nd' floor, and they went up. Minutes later, they where facing another larger batch of guards.

A brilliant light flashed, and Leviathan appeared, His huge wiry frame uncoiling, blue scales sliding together with a soft rustling sound.

The giant water serpent let out a long hiss, and struck the guards with a strong blast of water.

Five of them hit the wall down the hall, and two collided into each other. Then Leviathan struck, his blade like fangs sank deep into a guard, who writhed for a moment, then fell still.

"Get those bastards Leviathan! Show them what you are made of!" Yuffie shouted to the snake, and it reared up, and a geyser of water sent three into the room above.

The rest split, and left the scene before the snake could get to them.

Leviathan coiled up, and gave a gentle hiss, and diapeared.

"That was SICK!" Shouted Cid, who couldn't stop staring at Yuffie.

"Thanks, He's mine! The guardian of Wutie, my father's spirit."

"WHAT? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDIN' ME!!"

"No. I am not."

"Well that is just strange…"

"Don't insult my Father!"

"I'M NOT!"

"Shut up! We have to find Tifa and those guys. We don't have time to argue…"

The group went to each room, and looked for the others. Finally, they found the room, after spilling much blood.

Cloud hacked the door down, and burst into the room. His sword cut the man standing against the wall clean in half, and the pieces hit the ground with a sickening splat.

"We're here." Said Cloud, his huge sword held out in front of him, marred with gore, and bits of broken metal.

Tifa looked up, her tear stained face a picture of horrid torture.

"Cloud!" She managed to squeak in surprise.

"Are you okay Tifa?" Cloud's eyes where filed with real concern.

Tifa saw something different in his eyes, they weren't the icy cold they usually where, and they looked like they where the eyes of a real human, not an emotionless puppet.

"Cloud?"

"Tifa, where is Vincent?"

Her eyes went dark, and tears began to flow, large, round drops fell onto her cheeks, and flowed to her chin.

She looked away from Cloud, and shook her head.

"He is… The guards… Blood everywhere… Fell down… Took him away… He's DEAD!" She fell to her knees, and cradled herself in her arms. She was shaking violently, and sobs punctuated long periods of silence.

Red Xlll stepped from out of the shadow, and came to comfort her.

"Hit the button over by the door, would you Yuffie? There's a good girl."

Red bent his head to nudge Tifa, and helped her pull herself together.

When the barrier fell, Cloud went over, and encircled Tifa with his arms. He stroked her hair, and whispered comfort into her ear.

Tifa was a little startled by this sudden display of affection from Cloud. Her tears stopped.

He rocked her back and forth, mumbling to her, and trying to soothe her.

"Thank you Cloud," she said, settling herself in his arms, so that she could see his eyes.

She could not believe the change, and would not believe it until it was confirmed.

The others in the group all hung their heads in sorrow, when gunshots broke out.

One bullet hit Tifa in the stomach, burrowing through her, and into Cloud.

Tifa went limp in Cloud's arms, and he looked shocked. He could not handle losing two in one event.

Another bullet stuck Cid in the collarbone, causing him to flinch.

A third found home in Barret's back. Another ricocheted off the wall and grazed Yuffie's arm.

Barret returned fire, and two guards went down.

Another round of bullets came their way.

Cloud held Tifa in his arms, stricken with a sick feeling, as her blood soaked his clothes.

He couldn't move… He didn't love the woman in his arms; she was more than that, his friend, and companion from days that he scarcely remembered. He would never be able to get over the pain of this night…

Cid went down, as a bullet hit him. Barret grunted, trying to keep steady, but the wound in his back was aching the longer he stood. Aeris was trying to cast spells, but something just wasn't working.

Cloud watched as his friends fell, the shock and pain of the situation immobilizing him.

Another bullet later, and Yuffie was on her knees, holding her thigh, wincing as searing pain cut through her body.

All Cloud could do was watch, holding the possibly lifeless form of his dearest friend.

Then as if by a miracle, Tifa squeezed his hand.

"Go," she said, and then fell limp again.

Cloud's mind kicked in, and he was on his feet in a moment, his sword in his hands.

He ran at the guards down the hall, who had assaulted his group, screaming in defiance.

Two bullets found a mark in his body, but he didn't care. His sword came down in a series of massive swipes, cleaving human and gun in to pieces, his pain feeding his anger. He took a third bullet, and then cut the last guard's throat, the guard's blood spraying him. Then he fell, and blackness took him.

The rest of the party regrouped, and checked the damage.

Barret had sustained a nasty shot in the back, and they might have lost three members, not including Vincent.

Aeris surveyed the hall, and room, and took in the carnage.

She dripped blood that was not hers. It was Cid's blood that had sprayed from his gun wound before he fell. She saw Yuffie crawl to Cid, and throw herself across his motionless form.

Yuffie was bawling her eyes out, whispering "No, no, no, no!"

Aeris moved over to Tifa, and sensed the very dim flame of life holding on. She went to Cid, and felt the flame too.

She mended Yuffie's leg, and told her that Cid was alive, but just barely.

Yuffie saw Tifa, and started to cry again, but again Aeris reassured her that she was alive.

Aeris fixed Barret's back, and helped him ease the pain in his nerves. She pumped both Tifa and Cid full of her energy, and hoped they would make it back.

She looked around, and noticed a form at the end of the hall, that was not dressed in Soldier uniform.

She went down the hall, and realized with terror that it was Cloud, surrounded in a pool of blood that was unmistakably his own, for it carried a faint bluish tinge to it.

She searched for a sign of life, and found none. She tried again, not believing what she had found.

Again, she found nothing.

She collapsed onto his still form, and let out all of her pent up feelings.

She sounded as if she was dying from the most painful disease ever. It was like she was being tortured, and the pain was reaching its threshold.

She cried like she had never cried before, for the pain she felt was beyond comprehension.

She poured her life into him, willing him to return from death, but his heart would not beat.

She fainted finally, from the massive stress, and the unbearable pain of a loss she could not have dreamed of.

It was the worst night the group had ever experienced. The pain was overpowering, and the sorrow was palpable.

The next morning would be no relief from the complete devastation…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Tifa awoke with an odd feeling. Her stomach burned, and felt really strange. She tried to get up, but pain shot up her back, and she collapsed, gasping for breath.

Aeris walked in, and stuck a bowl onto the table near Tifa's head.

It smelled pungent, and very soothing.

"I need to tell you something." Aeris gave Tifa a grievous look.

"What?" was all she could get out.

"Cloud… He is… No longer with us…"Aeris started to cry, and Tifa looked at her confused.

"When will he get back?"

Aeris' sobs got Tifa to finally understand.

"No! He can't be…"

Aeris nodded, and the two women hugged each other tightly.

They cried into each other's shoulders, crying over the man they both loved, that they both could not see life without. They let their tears flow, and knew that they had bonded over this horrid penalty. Avalanche would not be the same without him. What where they supposed to do?

Yuffie had found solace in Cid, the two of them trying to take their minds off of the deaths of two dear friends.

Cait Sith felt no such pain, he was a puppet, but his mind reeled at the deaths, not understanding what it meant.

Barret had drunk himself into a stupor, and Red Xlll stopped talking entirely.

Yuffie kept bursting into tears, causing Cid to panic, and then realize she needed comfort. He would cradle her small form in his arms, and rub her back, knowing that his attempts where futile. When she finished crying, she would kiss Cid gently on the lips, and tell him she needed to be alone upstairs.

Cid would nod, and let her leave him, watching her as she let the room.

Pain filled his eyes, as he would watch her go, and he would start to cry softly to himself.

Cid hated taking advantage of the situation to get closer to Yuffie, but she had also asked him to be her comfort.

He had needed comfort too, and they found that comfort in bed…

He hated himself for last night, and would have to stop this before it became a problem. He loved that girl with every fiber of his soul, but he knew what he was doing was wrong. It was too much to think she could really mean that she loved him, so he wanted to end it before love would be the right word to describe the feelings between them.

He felt pain and sorrow eating at the back of his mind, and for a moment, thought she really did mean it.

"_Naw, she's just shocked, and that love we made, it was out of desperation. She could not truly love me…_" His melancholy thoughts made the pain of everything well up, and made him cry again.

"_Damn this cruel world! I hope the fucking place goes up in smoke, and I don't have to fucking think about it anymore._"

He flung the cigarette that he had been puffing on, and it landed on the floor, and smoldered there.

"_Burn mother fucker! Burn away this bullshit pain! Damn all those fuckers who made this place real!_"

The cigarette went out, and Cid damned its fickle life.

"_I hope you burn too, you fucking cancer stick!_"

He stood up, and stomped the thing into the ground, grinding the paper and tobacco into the carpet.

He felt anger and pain. It took all his mental strength to keep from flipping out.

He walked out leaving the dead butt on the ground.

"_This blows more than I could have ever imagined!_"

He cursed his luck in finding such a determined group of people, who were willing to kill themselves for something they weren't sure they could succeed at.

He stepped onto the porch, and stared off into the distance, not noticing Yuffie standing behind him, with a worried expression on her face.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Vincent woke in a strange room. He had bandages covering his chest, and a dull pain pulsed from under the cover. He moved, and rolled over, getting up off of the bed. He looked in both directions, and made sure no one was looking.

He crept out of the room, and down the hall.

He went onto the elevator, and pushed the 52nd floor.

When the door opened, the reek of blood hit him like a wall.

He stepped out, and felt his bare foot slip in a pool of liquid.

He looked down, and found that he was standing in a pool of blood, and all around him where the corpses of Shin-Ra guards.

He walked down the hall, and found another odd thing.

In the middle of the hall, about three feet back from the gore that covered the elevator wall, was a strange pool of bluish colored… Vincent touched it, and smelled it… a pool of blood?

He thought about it a moment, then he went to the shield room.

He found it strangely empty, and he found a few more dead guards in there too.

The barrier was down, and there was no sign of anyone on this floor.

"Cloud must have come to get us," he thought, looking at the destruction the team had wrought.

"They sure did a bad job of cleaning up."

Vincent turned around, to find Hojo staring at him.

"So Mr. Valentine, what are you doing out of bed? Why are you still here? Did your friends forget you?" Hojo scoffed at him.

Vincent felt unbridled hatred for this man.

He got a sudden burst of memory, and whispered, in a menacing tone of voice "Hojo!"

"Took you long enough…"

Vincent leapt on the man, grabbing him around his windpipe.

"You will PAY!" Vincent squeezed as hard as he could.

Hojo began to splutter, and gasp for breath.

"Go ahead and kill me bastard! You are nothing but a monster anyways!"

Vincent's Demon Chaos bellowed in his head, making him flinch.

"NO! HE'S MINE YOU FILTHY MONSTER!"

Vincent crushed Hojo's windpipe more, and the man's face started to turn purple.

"You don't know the pain you've put me through! I will kill you! I hope you hate every moment of this!"

"You will live forever Vincent! That is…. 'Cough'… A dream that… any… man… would… di…e… for…"

Vincent let go of the man's throat, and Hojo gasped for breath.

"Death is too simple for you… Feel the powers of MY DEMON!"

The transformation was so fast, that it was hard to tell when it had begun, and when it had ended.

Chaos stood before Hojo, and smiled a broad fang-filled smile, and caught up Hojo.

"Meet the monster YOU CREATED!" said Chaos, in a deep booming voice.

Chaos grabbed Hojo's arm, and tore it off his body.

Blood exploded from the severed limb, and its connection.

"Kill me BASTARD! IT'S TOO LATE! YOUR SPIKEY HAIRED FRIEND FOUND DEATH IN THE HANDS OF A FEW BULLETS! THIS WORLD IS GOING TO HELL WITH ME!"

Hojo began laughing, as blood poured from his body.

Chaos ripped off his other arm, and the man continued to laugh.

"COME TO ME DEATH!"

Chaos dropped the dying man on the ground, and Chaos became Vincent again.

"I am a monster you piece of scum! And I am proud of it!"

Vincent spat on the man, and walked away from him, as he continued laughing.

Then moments later, all was silent.

"Cloud is dead?… How could… That strange pool of blood! Cloud?"

Vincent changed back into Chaos, and spread large wings, and flew through a huge glass window, heading for the apartment.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Cloud found himself in a weird place.

All around him was a glowing green light, his body felt as if it was suspended in a dense liquid.

He looked all around him, and felt darkness in a place he would never expect to find it.

He wondered around, and tried to find the source of the dark.

He was not sure what was going on. He had to find this darkness… He did not know why, but he did.

A black shadow caught his eyes, and he ran toward it.

Something flashed at him, and he ducked as a thin, extremely long blade cut over his head, about where his neck was.

The shadow laughed a cold laugh that pierced Cloud's ears. Pulling out his own sword, Cloud rolled out of the way as the sword came down again.

Cloud knew that sword better than anyone, because he was one of the few survivors of its deadly length.

It was Sephiroth, his long silver hair flowing about him like a cascade of water, as he swung his sword with deadly accuracy.

"Your time has come Cloud! Death is eminent, and I can't wait to feel my blade sink into your flesh!" Sephiroth said, his voice monotonous, and emotionless.

"You won't kill me!" Cloud let out, as their swords clanged together.

"Death will be your only escape from me Cloud! Prepare to die!"

"You WISH!"

"No Cloud, I know."

"Lay it on Sephiroth. Lay it on!"

Sephiroth flew at Cloud, giving a tremendous swing that was met with Cloud's mighty sword.

It was an immense swing that knocked Cloud back.

Cloud took that shock, and stepped back, letting Sephiroth's sword slide down his, and then he flicked it up, and slashed out at him.

Sephiroth blocked, and countered the swing, sending his sword arching in the opposite direction.

The swords met with a 'clang' and flung apart.

Again they slammed together, causing a shower of sparks to issue forth like a tidal wave of fire.

The swords where silvered blurs, clashing and banging, cutting and slashing, like two ballet dancers, in swift and controlled intent to kill.

Sephiroth drew first blood, slashing a vicious stroke that left Cloud bleeding from his leg.

Sephiroth laughed again, and taunted Cloud with his words, telling him that in the end, he would be on his knees, begging for mercy.

"And I will not have mercy on a little scum like you!" Sephiroth scoffed, glaring at Cloud with malicious intent.

"You will pay for the pain that you have caused this earth!" Cloud said, his sword flashing as it clipped a chunk of Sephiroth's hair off.

"You do not stand a chance."

"That is not for you to judge Sephiroth! The best man will win in this circumstance."

"Then certainly it will be me! You are not even human!"

"Speak for yourself! Jenova gave birth to you! You are less human than I am!"

"I am a Cetra! You are nothing but an experiment gone wrong! I am the greatest warrior in this galaxy… Nothing will stop me from becoming one with this measly planet!"

"Feel the pain of my sword!" Sephiroth stuck out, grazing Cloud's shoulder.

Cloud did not give up, and slashed out to, catching Sephiroth by surprise.

Cloud's sword bit into his side, and blood rushed forth, oozing all over the black robe he was wearing.

Sephiroth's eyes blazed with hatred as Cloud slid his blade out of the wound.

He slashed out, and Sephiroth dropped his sword, and fell to his knees.

Cloud picked up the long blade, and looked down its length.

He sheathed his own, and hefted the Masamune, smiling at Sephiroth.

"You shall feel what it is like to have this sword run through you."

The blade flashed in Cloud's grip, and then plunged into Sephiroth's body, its 68" length ran down to the hilt.

Cloud then put his foot on Sephiroth's chest, and pulled the blade out, letting it drop to the ground.

Sephiroth dropped to, and vanished in a bright flash.

Cloud heard a voice, and it shouted in the absolute still of the world around him,

"You have not killed me Cloud Strife! Nothing you could do could ever kill me! I am invincible!"

Cloud shuddered at the voice, and then a second voice said,

"Cloud, come back! We need you."

Cloud opened his eyes, and the light in the room caused him to flinch, but his eyes eventually focused on a tall figure, dressed in a red coat, and had a golden claw for one hand.

"Vincent?"

"You are bleeding from your shoulder, and leg. Aeris will attend those once you have your strength back."

"I'm I dead? And how is Tifa?"

"No you have not died, and Tifa made a full recovery. You have been in a comma state for almost two days now. Where did you acquire such nasty gashes?"

"I fought Sephiroth in the Life Stream… I think it was a test to see if I should live…"

"You must have won. Is he dead then…?"

"I killed him in the stream, but I doubt that a simple stab wound would bring him down."

Aeris ran in, and grabbed Cloud up in a tight hug, squeezing him with all her might.

"Cloud! Cloud, Cloud! My belovéd Cloud! I… You're alive!"

Aeris backed away from him, and Cloud felt the urge to call her back to him, and to hold her, and kiss her, and this time he did.

"Aeris, come back."

She moved over to him, and he wrapped her in a warm embrace, and laid his lips gently on her forehead.

"I love you…"He whispered to her, and held her close.

Aeris was shocked that these words had actually came out of Cloud's mouth, but she felt a passion fill her.

"As I you… Cloud."

Their embrace broke moments later, and Aeris smiled at Cloud, he had changed a lot on this trip. It was strange to hear him express such deep feelings as he had just done.

"We are all back here, alive, and well." Cid said, his arm around Yuffie's shoulder, his eyes full of fire.

"Yes, now all of us are back, and together we shall stand against Sephiroth's evil, and stop Shin-Ra from destroying the world." Cloud said, as he rolled out of bed, and took Aeris' hand; as they walked down to eat.

They ate, and tonight, Cloud would not sleep alone…


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

In the morning Cloud woke, and found he was holding Aeris. It was strange at first, and he let go, but Aeris gave a shudder in her sleep, and rolled closer to him. He smiled at the peaceful look on her usually worried face, and brushed the stands of hair away that had fallen across her beautiful face.

Cloud was glad to find her warmth next to him, and last night as well.

They had talked until they had fallen asleep, and Cloud had snuggled to her in his sleep, and held her.

"My Aeris, I don't know what I would do without you," he said.

He kissed her gently on the top of the head, and pushed himself gently out of bed, covering her with the blankets.

There came a knock on the door, and Cloud answered, to find Cid there, bags under his grey-blue eyes.

"Yuffie kept you up too?" Cloud asked.

"Oh yeah! It was a long night!" Cid looked happy, as Yuffie walked up to them, and wrapped both arms around Cid from behind.

"Cid's mine! You can't steal him Spiky!" she said playfully.

"Wasn't trying to…"

"Huh? Aeris? … Did you sleep with Aeris, Cloud?" Yuffie inquired.

Cid looked into the room, and noticed Aeris' form in the bed.

"WOW! YOU? ... Cloud! I would never have thought it possible!" he gushed.

"Nothing happened Cid, don't get excited…" Cloud began.

"No, you just don't want admit that anything happened!" said Cid.

"Shhhh! Aeris is still sleeping… Keep your voices down!" Yuffie whispered, smiling at Cloud, and giving a nod of approval.

Aeris trembled and gave a small cry.

Cloud went over to her, and felt the tension building in her body, and he reached down, and woke her with a gentle shake.

"Aeris? Are you okay?" he asked, gently.

"Fine… Bad dream… Nothing more."

"Okay. If that was all it was… It's time for breakfast…" he told her, giving her a concerned look, and helping her out of bed.

Then he left her to change, and get ready for the day.

He went down stairs and got an armful of Tifa.

"You feeling better Cloud?" she asked.

She hugged him furiously, and the moment lasted too long.

"I'm fine, just fine…" he answered.

"Hug me back! I want to make sure you are real!" she demanded.

Cloud obliged, and put his arms around her.

It was a vastly different feeling than what he felt when he did this with Aeris. He was not sure what the hell his brain was telling him, so he told it to screw off.

He removed himself from Tifa, trying not to make it too hurried; he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Tifa gave Cloud a sad look, and asked why he wasn't happy to see that she was alive.

"Tifa I am happy to see that, yes! I just have other things on my mind," he explained.

"Like what? That I'm really not that important to you?" she pressed.

Cloud felt a strange pang, and he wanted to hold Tifa to him too. He reached over and pulled her to him. He cradled her close, and told her he was sorry for his put off at first.

"What… I don't under… stand…?" she said.

Cloud let her go, and smiled.

"It's okay… I sure as hell don't get it either…" he replied.

"Get what?"

"What I am feeling…"

"What's wrong?" Tifa asked.

"I love you… But I love Aeris too…" Cloud explained.

"You WHAT!!!"

"I love both of you…"

"You can't love us both, Cloud! I… I… can't … this shouldn't be happening!" Tifa shouted out.

"I am just not sure about what is going on…" Cloud started to say.

"How could you let this happen Cloud? I don't understand…. First you shun me, and then you tell me that you love me… and Aeris…" Tifa cried.

"I don't understand it either… I am not a player I just am confused… These feelings, they aren't mine…" Cloud said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Tifa.

Aeris walked into the room, and came over to Cloud.

"What's up? You looked worried darling," she said to Cloud.

"I have a confusion that I need to clear up," he answered.

"Like what…?"

"Like the fact that I love you…"Cloud hesitated, then added,

"And I love Tifa…"

"What is this? Cloud, you weren't just doing things with Tifa where you?" Aeris asked.

"No, I was talking about this with Tifa, when you came to ask me what was wrong. Don't worry; I don't think these feelings will last… I think that something is out there, controlling my emotions, trying to make you two fight, and hoping to divide the team, and then strike a blow," Cloud replied.

"The only person who can control you, besides you, is Sephiroth. He would want to do what you just described. I think that could be a possibility… I think that you could be right, but why with such an emotion he so loathes?" Aeris mused.

"Because if he hates it, then I would too. I think he thinks that we are more closely aligned then he previously thought. He wants to see us dead, and to destroy the world, so he can become a god. He thinks that he'll have more power if he joins with the Life Stream. I think he will just die… I think he is a crazy bastard that will kill himself in his attempts to gain a higher Life. Evil was never meant to fill those spots, those vacated by the other Powers. But at the same time, if his plan works, Earth will become a Hell, and take on the characteristics of its ruler, making it Hell on Earth. I don't want to live in hell at all," Cloud told her.

"Good point. But why did he choose such a tactic… I would not have thought him capable to feel such a powerful good feeling. He cares about no one, let alone you, or me, or Tifa. He must have found a way to make this work, and do it right. I don't like the way this could work out…" Aeris said.

"He is a clever bastard, but I don't think this is him… It has a strange feeling to it that I can't describe. It has a different flavor to it than Sephiroth. I don't know what it is…" Cloud told her.

"Are you trying to make excuses for your strange behavior? Cloud, I hope you are not. I could not respect you if you where." Tifa leveled her brown eyes on Cloud, and frowned.

Something struck Cloud in his mind, and he fell to his knees, and grabbed his head. He let forth a shriek that would shatter glass, and then fell face first onto the ground.

Tifa and Aeris were both by his side in a second, and they both grabbed one of his arms and dragged him to the couch, and sprawled him there. They both had worried expressions and both were unsure of what to feel about what was going on.

"He's having another relapse, isn't he Aeris?" Tifa asked fearfully.

"Yes, I think so," Aeris replied.

That moment, everyone burst into the room, and tried to ask what was happening at the same time.

"What the FUCK…?" said Barret.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" shouted Cid.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Cait Sith.

"I feared this might happen." said Vincent.

"Is everything alright?" Yuffie looked at Aeris for reassurance.

"He is relapsing!" Red Xlll said in a strained tone.

Cloud's eyes changed from the clear bright blue they usually where, to a dull murky color.

A vein at his temple announced the horrific pain that was coursing though his body, and his breath came in ragged gasps. He plunged quickly into unconsciousness, and everything went dark.

The group stared at him, and wondered what would happen next.

Cloud's mind awoke in a massive bout of pain, and he screamed, but no one heard.

Jenova appeared in front of him, an alien with a body of a woman, and came face to face with Cloud.

He couldn't move, and his sword was nowhere to be found.

Jenova leaned a little closer, their noses touched, and Cloud gave a second shriek of pain.

It was so much pain that his body continued to twitch after the contact was over.

Jenova was reveling in the pain it caused Cloud, and it reached out a slender hand, and touched his forehead.

A jolt of pain smote Cloud like a wreaking ball. It felt as if his head had been cleft in half, and then set on fire.

Cloud shuddered, then felt the hand of Jenova caress his face like a hot brand being dragged across his skin.

Cloud let out another scream, and collapsed onto the strange ground.

Then he heard Sephiroth's cold laughter, and a thin blade being slid across his back, drawing blood, and letting it flow freely.

"How does it feel now Cloud? You are going to die! And you are going to hate it!" Sephiroth taunted.

Jenova played its hands over his back, and the slash on his back became inflamed, and burned like thousands of needles burrowing into his skin, and then being ripped out, and stabbed back in again.

Sephiroth gave another chilling laugh, and stuck his foe again, cutting a cross on Cloud's back.

"So, do you want to cry out for mercy yet? You will in the end," he said.

"I WILL...NOT!" Cloud shouted, though the pain made him feel dizzy.

"THEN SUFFER!" Sephiroth slashed Cloud again, laying bare his back, and Cloud could feel the blood oozing down his sides, and Jenova's hands burning his flesh like a red-hot knife.

Cloud's mind began to weaken, and he felt inclined to do whatever Sephiroth wanted, to make the pain stop.

"WHAT DO...YOU WANT?" Cloud gasped in between bouts of pain.

"I want the Cetra! Bring her to me! If you do... I may take mercy on you and just kill you without this torture! Lie, and I will make your death go on for days, and you will want to die then!"

"I will not let you have Aeris!" Cloud said through clenched teeth.

"Then you will have to pay the ultimate PRICE!"

Sephiroth kicked Cloud in the stomach, and blood poured out of his mouth. He lay on the ground barely breathing, and still fought on.

"You...will...die!" Sephiroth told him. "You insolent piece of filth! Do you think you can stop me! You are not even the person you think you are... _ I_ recreated your whole life! Nothing you think or feel is your real feelings! You are just a puppet! Nothing more than an insignificant part of my plan... You will bring me the Cetra, or this will be the last breath you take! Do you realize whom you are trying to fight? ME! I AM THE GOD OF THIS PUNY LITTLE PLANET! AND I WILL FULFILL MY DESTINY!"

Sephiroth kicked Cloud again, then left, and vanished from sight.

"_BRING ME THE CETRA! OR YOU WILL DIE ALONG WITH THIS PLANET!_"

The cold voice filled Cloud's ears, and then everything went black.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The party was gathered around Cloud and they were watching him with baited breath.

They saw the blood that had poured out of his mouth, and the huge gashes that had appeared on his back, and bled profusely onto the floor, staining the rug red in a four-foot wide puddle.

Tifa was crying, and Aeris stood stunned that this was happening. The others where concerned for him, but did not know what was going on.

They thought he might have actually died this time.

"There is no way he is alive after that much blood loss," Cait Sith said with a sad look in his eyes.

Tifa cried harder at this comment, and Aeris just stared at him, unsure of what she felt. It was too overwhelming to think about.

Then Cloud's eyes snapped open and he looked around.

"You... He wants you... Bring...you...to...Him... I don't... know... why..." he said, struggling for breath, and coughing up some blood.

"Cloud! You're not... Dead!" Aeris seemed about to burst with happiness.

Tifa looked stunned.

"How are you still alive?" she asked.

"I... am a... stubborn... bast... ard," Cloud told her.

"Well I'm glad!" Aeris said with a sparkle in her eyes.

"You've come so close to death twice in a week! I hate seeing you like this, it is too painful to watch you waste away slowly from fights in your head! How crazy is it that..."

She didn't manage to finish her sentence.

Cloud leaped out of bed, and knocked Tifa out of the way.

He grabbed Aeris around her waist, and started to drag her to the door.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING CLOUD!" shouted Aeris, who was dangling off his shoulder.

"You and I… We have some unfinished business with a certain silver haired man..." he said, still dragging her.

"WHAT! YOU ARE BRINGING ME TO SEPHIROTH! WHY?" she screamed.

"TO MAKE THIS PAIN STOP!" he shouted back at her.

Cloud's eyes showed the deep pain he was experiencing, and Aeris almost felt sorry for him. But she did not want to go to Sephiroth.

She swung a fist at Cloud's back, striking the reddened slash with a hard blow.

Cloud's body shuddered at the impact, and he cried out.

He fumbled Aeris, and tripped, sending Aeris soaring through the air.

She landed on her back with a sharp thud, and rolled a few inches into the wall, while Cloud face planted into the rug just inches from Aeris' sprawled body.

He lay on the ground sobbing hard, curled into a fetal position, and banging his head on the wall.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD! I AM NOT YOUR SLAVE... I HATE YOU...!" he cried.

He hit the wall with such force that it punched a hole in the wall, and bloodied his forehead.

"DIE! JUST DIE ALREADY! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

A large hand grabbed Cloud's shoulder, pinning him so that he could not reach the wall.

"Cloud! Stop shouting you idiot! You need to calm down!" Barret looked into the young man's dying eyes, and could not imagine the pain that was running though Cloud's body.

"CALM YOUR SELF! I AM A LOST CAUSE... JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE BEFORE I HURT SOMEONE ELSE! I'M A DANGER TO EVERYONE!"

"Cloud it isn't your fault! Just stop shouting and listen!" Barrett ordered.

"SHE'S FRICKING DYING AND ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS A FUCKING MAD MAN! JUST LEAVE ME HERE!!! I AM A MENACE TO YOU ALL! AVALANCHE CAN GO ON WITHOUT ME!!!"

"Listen, she's fine, she'll just have a few large bruises," said Barrett.

"SHUT UP AND DIE ALREADY!!!" Cloud shouted, but it wasn't directed at anyone in the room.

"Don't tell me to die! I am your friend! And Avalanche certainly does need you!" Barrett argued.

"I HATE YOU!!! DIE!!!"

"Now listen here! You and I are friends..." Barret was interrupted by Cloud.

"DIE!"

"I will not die!" Barrett answered strongly.

"SEPHRIOTH! I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Where is he? Where is Sephiroth?" Barret asked, looking down at Cloud with complete dismay.

"I WILL KILL YOU! YOU CAN'T HAVE HER! SHE IS NO ONES!"

Cloud gave a jerk, and pulled out of Barret's grip.

"YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS YOU FREAK!"

Cloud ran as fast as he could, and left the apartment, before anyone could react.

"What was that all about?" asked Cid with a sad look on his face.

"It was Sephiroth... Cloud was talking to Sephiroth... There is something strange going on here, and I don't like it." Vincent was pondering the meaning of Cloud's sudden insanity, and could not come up with a logical reason for the sudden outburst of madness.

"We need to find him before Shin-Ra does! They'll really kill him this time!" Barret said in a monotone.

It was a really awkward thing that had just happened, and no one was sure what to do.

"We need to find him!" cried Tifa, tears flowing like rivers down her face.

Vincent checked Aeris, and found a heartbeat. He reached into his cloak, and pulled out a potion.

He let a few drops fall onto Aeris' tongue, and watched.

Aeris gave a moan of pain, and tried to move. She gasped as a searing pain ran up her spine.

Yuffie got some ice for Aeris, and put it against her back.

"Are you okay?" she asked simply.

"It…hurts!" Aeris gave Yuffie a pained expression.

"Do you think you broke anything?"

"I…don't…know!" Aeris shuddered.

"Give her a little more potion Vincent, would you?" Yuffie ordered.

Vincent gave a few more drops to Aeris, and the pain seemed to abate a little.

"We'll have to bring her to a hospital, and get her ribs checked," said Tifa, who had stopped crying because she was exhausted.

"No, find Cloud… I probably will end up…dying in the end. Go… Cloud…is the…only one who can…stop…him!" Aeris argued.

"Aeris! You will not die!" Tifa scolded.

"It is a…forgone…conclu…tion… I am to…die, and give my power…to the Earth…to hold off the…apocalypse," Aeris whispered.

"We'll leave Red and Cait Sith here to watch over you." Barret looked at the two cats, and they nodded to him.

The rest got up, and left quickly, hoping to catch Cloud before he got too far.

"This is the weirdest thing that has happened yet," Vincent said quietly.

"Yah, I want to know how Sephiroth is getting to him." Barret looked at Vincent with a determined look.

"I hope he can overcome this attack," Tifa said, looking sad.


	16. Chapter 16

To all of my fans... I'm soooooo Sorry for the huge delay in postings...

I went away for a month, to the land of anti-internet, so I could not post my chapters. I hope that you all can understand my attempts to post three chapters, because of my absence. And thanks to all my reviewers, mitts, Thunderstorm101, Lita Lightning. And to everyone who has read my stories, and liked them!

Chapter 16

Cloud flew through the streets, the tears from his eyes streaking out behind him. He was mumbling things to himself, running quickly toward the outer limits.

"I will find you Sephiroth! Then I will shred you into little ribbons! You will wish you had died that first encounter!" Cloud said, swinging his sword erratically, slicing a light pole in half, and it collapsed, clanging onto the ground behind him.

He paid no attention, even as the pain of his wounds shocked him, his madness and anger drove him onward.

He ran into someone, sending them flying, and he just kept going.

As he reached the city limits, he encountered three Shin-Ra soldiers.

They fired a few shots, and then hit the floor with slash marks covering their bodies.

He ran fast, and showed no anticipation of stopping.

He stopped at the next large tree, and felt an odd feeling.

His brain gave a slight twitch, and his anger faded quickly.

His eyes gained a new level of celerity, and his face broke into a smile.

"Aeris," he whispered to himself.

"Aeris, Aeris, Aeris! I need to help myself before I can help her!"

He turned, and saw a robot monstrosity rumbling toward him.

His contemplation dissipated into a rapid flow of adrenalin.

His sword hissed out of its sheath, and was brought to use against his new adversary.

The thing was inanimate, but it shuddered as Cloud's eyes, full of destruction glared at the things vision sensors.

It was not afraid, for it was not alive, but something got to it, and it faltered.

Cloud's sword rattled off of its head, not making a scratch.

He stuck again, and his sword glanced off the thing's faceplate.

He stepped back, confused that the thing took no notice of the powerful blows that had been administered on it.

It was not attacking him, yet it had a malicious glow to its eyes, and its fang like mouthparts shined like a small sun. And yet it was not moving.

Then he heard it.

"Cloud! We've found you!" Tifa ran up to him, and went to hug him, and stopped, instead, offering him her hand to shake.

He looked at her, and then he went to embrace her, and she backed away.

"No, don't," she said, the sadness deep in her eyes getting darker. She wanted to embrace him, and kiss him, but he belonged to Aeris.

He gave her a look of confusion, but stepped back, and shook her hand.

"We have split up looking for you, and when I saw that giant robot thing, I removed its battery," she said, holding up a largish grey cube.

"Oh, that would explain why it is not trying to kill us," Cloud said, looking at the hulking metal beast.

She threw the battery at the robot, and it smashed onto the things head, and bounced off harmlessly.

"What is that thing made of?" panted Cid, as he came running up to them.

"I don't know" said Cloud, observing the metallic beast.

"What the hell is that?" Barrett asked as he came up to the three of them.

"It is a killing machine," Cloud said.

"Sure looks like it," Barrett said, noticing its huge fangs, and eight-inch claws.

"Good to see you back to normal." Barrett looked at Cloud, and nodded.

"I found that I have to help myself before I can help the world," Cloud said.

"It helped me understand that there is something more to life than just pain."

"Good! You've learned your lesson Spiky!" Yuffie cried, as she wandered up to the group.

"I have, but we need to get out of here. Sephiroth is still very powerful, and could strike again. I don't want anything to happen to you guys. This fight should be between him and me only." Cloud's eyes darkened and his mouth hardened into a line as he spoke these words.

"Man, we're all in this together!" Barrett said. "We ain't gonna leave you till it's over!"

"I agree," said Vincent.

He walked up to the group, and gave an odd smile.

"I have some vengeance that needs to be repaid." His hand went to Peace Maker, and he drew it from its holster, and shot the metallic beast in the head, and the bullet berried itself into the things skull, and its eyes went dim.

"How did you do that?" Cloud eyed the smoking gun, and looked at the hole.

"I found some special bullets in the Shin-Ra building. I figured they would not need them anymore."

"Well, they certainly have a kick!" Cid grinned.

"Yes." Vincent smiled down at the gun, and put it back into the holster.

Then they all joined hand's, and Cloud looked at them.

"We are all in this together, and I couldn't have chosen a better group to be stuck with in this hell that is this world is. I am so glad to have you guys here to back me up." Cloud looked at each of his companions, and a slight smile appeared on his pale face.

"Enough of this sentimental crap! We have some ass kickin' to do!" Barrett said, as a single tear came down his dark face.

Yuffie embraced Cid, and gave him a kiss. The rest watched as this simple show of affection summed up and ended the little reunion. They all turned back to Midguard, and walked onto the city, and went back to Aeris.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"We have to clean you up," said Aeris weakly, as she surveyed the mess that Cloud was.

"That can wait, Aeris. I have found that things are not as..."

He stopped, as an icy chill ran up his spine. The wounds disappeared, not even leaving behind scars.

"Aeris!" He looked at her sadly. "You are in no state to be healing people! And I caused you this pain... You should not waste your time on me..." His eyes deepened in their blue hue, and he shook his head.

"You did not... Sephiroth did," Aeris replied.

"I will have his death on my hands if it the last thing this body can perform!" Cloud's eyes burned with fury, gaining a new level in darkness.

"It won't be. I have faith that you can win..." Aeris whispered.

Cloud bent forward and kissed her on the lips, his eyes glowing with a happiness that had never shown there before.

There were no more words between them, their communication purely visual.

"Wow, maybe we should leave," said Cid, and turned, grabbing Yuffie, and pulling her out of the room, and directing her toward the kitchen.

"Yes, I think Cid is right." Vincent got up, and left, Red Xlll going with him.

Tifa and Barrett both looked at each other, and left the room, also heading into the kitchen.

Cait Sith grinned, and then left as well.

Cloud sat down on the bed next to Aeris, and smiled.

He placed his hand gently on her cheek, and then he kissed her again.

She felt a little cold, and he wanted to warm her up, but she was in no shape for that.

"I am sorry that I did this to you..." he said quietly into her ear.

"Don't be. I am the one who caused the pain..." she said, her voice small and repentant.

"No Aeris, you needed to escape. I was going to have you brought to Sephiroth, he...he would have killed you..."

She hushed him by putting her finger across his lips.

"Shhhh. Don't worry Cloud. I forgive you, as I hope you forgive me."

Cloud looked at her, a tear forming in the corner of his eye, and rolling gently down his face.

"Thank you. I will forgive as well. I am still sorry for this pain..."

"Please Cloud! You were in much more pain than I when this happened! I understand the..."

"You love me even though I was so selfish that I would have you killed to ease my own pain? You are not saying this surely?" Cloud said, not sure what he was feeling now.

"Yes Cloud, you were not yourself when this happened. I understand the power that Sephiroth wields! It is powerful, but you can fight it! I know that it does not feel that way, but it is true. I am more responsible for the pain I feel than you are. I made you fall! I was the one who caused the pain. I don't want to do it again though. Cloud... We cannot be... I love you, but I know that my fate is drawing close, and I do not want you to lose heart if I where to die. Please, let us not continue this relationship. You should find someone who will live longer." She gave him a pleading look, and turned away, a sob racking her body, as she let out the hurt.

Cloud looked down at the crying woman, and then lay down on the covers next to her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Aeris... I could not leave you for my life! I have never felt this way for anyone. Please... You will not die! Say it isn't so..."

She just cried, and did not respond to his question.

He snuggled close to her, and stroked her hair, and rocked her gently, trying to ease the sorrow, and help her be her usual happy self.

"Please leave..." Aeris said in such a quite voice that Cloud barley heard it.

He gave her a sad look, and got up, planting one last kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you Aeris... Don't ever forget that," he said as he left the room.

Aeris rolled back over, and sobbed, letting out all the pain and sorrow she kept cooped up inside of her.

Cloud listened at the door, and then left, unable to stand hearing the heart- wrenching sobs that came out of the room.

He went to his room, and flung himself onto the bed, letting his emotions out by beating the crap out of his pillow.

Finally after literally beating the stuffing out of it, he got up, and then lay down on the floor, eyes turned to the ceiling. He stayed in that position for three solid hours, not even moving to make himself more comfortable.

_I don't understand! Why is it that she pushes me away? What have I done or not done that has made her wish to shun me? I have no idea as to what could be the problem..._ He thought, and then it struck him.

_She thinks that she is going to die! And she thinks that this is going to be a burden on me! Well I must dissuade her of that notion! _

He got up, but instead of leaving, the door opened, and Aeris limped in, and sat on his bed.

"I am sorry for my rash behavior Cloud. I was sad that I might not be able to share much time with you, because of my destiny."

"I will not falter, I can keep going... Trust me! I will be sad, but I want to spend the time that I can... No, I will spend the rest of my life with you... Nothing is going to hurt you, I will stop it!" Cloud said.

"No Cloud... Nothing can stop what has been planned since the beginning of this planet! Don't be sad... I will always remember you, even when I die..."

"YOU WILL NOT DIE!" cried Cloud. He hated hearing what he felt might be true, but not wanting it to be so.

"Yes... It is a forgone..." She was interrupted by Cloud, who drew her to him, and kissed her.

"Let us not talk of things like that... It pains me so..." His eyes showed the sorrow he felt like a book.

"You must be prepared for the inevitable. I will stop now, but I do not want you to forget this..." Aeris said in an undertone.

"I don't wish to see you die though... I don't want it to happen."

"But it must... It is the only way to truly save the planet from Meteor! I know it will be hard... But the team must go on! I will be leaving soon. A month or so... I have a strange feeling that I must go and do something... I am unsure of what, but I know I must go..." Aeris looked sadly at Cloud, and then gave him a small smile.

"Let us enjoy each other's company while it lasts!" She embraced him, and laid her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat.

They stayed like that until the chime of the clock announced that it was late.

They stripped off their clothes, and Cloud put on some fresh boxers, and Aeris slipped into a nightgown. They huddled close in bed, looking into each other's eyes, and fell asleep after a few minutes.

They lay curled up next to one another, happy bliss upon both of their faces.

The moon came through the window, and shown on the two, making it look as if the moon was celebrating the union, and giving its approval.

The night went by quickly, and the sun came up, and the two lovers stirred in their blissful slumber.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Cloud stirred first, the sun in his eyes. He rolled over, and bumped Aeris, who gave a soft groan, from being woken.

Cloud's blue eyes found Aeris' green, and a spark jumped between them, and then Aeris gave Cloud a gentle kiss.

"Let's go get breakfast, I'm hungry," she said, and slowly rose from bed, a little unwillingly, but her stomach gave a growl, so she hastened her pace.

Cloud watched her dress, his eyes on her, and then he shook his head, and got up to get dressed.

Aeris giggled, when she caught Cloud averting his eyes.

"Were you watching me, you naughty boy?" Aeris grinned.

Cloud blushed, but turned, and gave her a grin too.

"Yes. It was a good sight," he said.

"I'm glad you liked it, you'll have to live with it until I go..."

"You won't be going anywhere, if I have any say in it," Cloud said as he caught Aeris up in a hug, holding her to him lovingly.

"I have to... My stomach may jump out of my body and go get food on its own if I don't." She laughed.

Cloud gave her one last kiss, and then released her so she could get some food.

"Are you coming?" Aeris asked.

Cid came to the door and said blearily, "Not yet."

Cloud gave a slight chuckle and said, "I will come to breakfast, yes."

Cloud looked at Cid, who now had an arm full of energetic Yuffie.

She had a mischievous grin on, and that explained why Cid had said that.

"We need to shower!" she said excitedly, shoving the sleep-standing-up Cid toward the bathroom.

"So soon?" Cid mumbled to himself, almost running into a wall, but being carefully steered by Yuffie, just managed to avoid it.

"Yes! You stink!!! And I like taking showers, so I'll join you!" she said, as she 'guided' him around the corner, and heard a 'thud', and Cid exclaim, "OUCH!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't notice that you there Vincent! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but Cid is on his back, is he okay?"

Vincent knelt next to Cid, and looked him in the eyes.

"You okay?"

"Uh...ummm...yeah...sure" Cid said, and then his eyes closed, and he fell asleep, snoring loudly.

"CID! WAKE UP!" Yuffie bumped him with her foot, and Cid did not wake.

She aimed a well-placed kick to his butt, and he jumped up, eyes wide, hands gripping his hurting ass, screaming about how he never gets sleep with this group.

"Serves you right! Now let's go shower!"

"Fine!" He laughed, hugging Yuffie, and then walking to the shower.

She giggled, and then went after him.

"Those two are adorable!" Tifa said, with a smile on her face.

They sat down in the kitchen, and ate.

Cloud had a bowl of Lucky Charms, and a glass of orange juice.

Aeris had some tea and a bagel.

Tifa had a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, and some coffee.

Vincent had nothing, and Barret and the others where not up yet.

They heard some yelling from the bathroom, and everyone stopped to listen.

"You should shave! I can't enjoy your face when it feels like sandpaper!"

"I shaved two days ago! I am sorry my facial hair grows back so fast!"

"You always have a five o'clock shadow though!"

"Like I said, I can't control it my sweet. Please stop talking so loudly. It is still early in my mind."

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon! How is that early?" she said in a vehement tone.

"I know. But I got to bed at four in the morning! So don't be mad at me. Frankly, I can't understand how you manage to run on so little sleep!"

"I grew up in a place where sleep was not as important as training. That is how!"

"Well I grew up in a normal place, where people liked to function at their best."

"I could show you how I function on little sleep!"

"This could get interesting." Cid said, then it fell silent in the bathroom.

Everyone started laughing, and that woke up Barret.

He came out of his room, looking about ready to kill.

"Who started the laugh? I'll...I'll...kill them!" His voice was crackly with sleep and his eyes where squinting from the bright light; he looked like he really would kill someone.

"Um, it was Yuffie and Cid!" said Tifa, grinning. "But they are in the shower!"

"WHAT! I WAS SLEEPING AND THEY MADE YOU LAUGH FROM THE SHOWER! IMPOSSIBLE!" Barret shouted.

Just then, they heard Cid singing a song loudly, and Yuffie trying to get him to stop.

"CID! QUIET! IT'S TOO LOUD!" pleaded Yuffie, as the volume increased.

Then the song abruptly stopped with a yelp of pain.

"I asked you to stop!" Yuffie's stern voice traveled down the hallway.

Surprisingly, Barret started to laugh, and he came and sat down at the table.

"Those two are hysterical!" he said, tears in his eyes from all his laughter.

"Can I eat with you guys?" he asked calmly, his eyes shining with glee.

"Um... Sure," said Tifa.

"Is there something wrong?" Barret asked.

"You just threatened to kill us, and now you are fine, that's what!" she said with a look of uncertainty.

"I was just tired. That is all... I am over it."

He sat down, grabbed a plate, and the eggs, putting a heap on his plate, and then grabbing the sausage, and put a small pile on it, took up a fork and started to eat.

Cloud gave Barret a look, and then settled back in his chair, and continued to eat his Lucky Charms.

"What's a tough guy like you eating Lucky Charms for?" Barret asked Cloud.

"I like the marshmallows... They're crunchy," Cloud said, a little embarrassed.

"I never would have guessed a guy like you would eat Lucky Charms..." Barret shook his head in amazement, and then laughed again.

"I think it's cute," said Aeris, grinning at Cloud.

"Of course you would!" said Tifa, a slight tone of jealousy creeping into her voice, but no one seemed to notice.

"Don't you think it's cute?" Aeris asked.

"Well...yes!" Tifa said, looking sadly at Cloud, and then turning to leave.

"I'll be back; I um...need to use the bathroom."

Tifa left, and went to her room.

She went to her bed, and fell onto it, and started to cry.

The tears rolled down her face, and over her cheeks, to fall onto her pillow.

It's too much! I don't want to feel this way! I like Cloud, but he has chosen to be with Aeris. She deserves him. But I have known him much longer! I can't just feel happy for them. I don't know why! I liked Cloud too much to let him go!

She cried for a little longer, and then went to the bathroom to wash her face.

When she returned, she found that Aeris was sitting on Cloud's lap, and was giving him a hug.

She watched for a moment, then left again, and went outside; thinking a stroll in the cool morning breeze might help her feel better.

As she walked down the street, her hair fluttered prettily as the wind blew it out, and the sun caught it in its frail morning rays.

A couple of guys across the way oogled her, which made her feel a little better about herself.

She walked for another half hour, and then returned to the apartment.

Before she entered the building, a tall, slim man, one of her early ooglers, came up to her.

"Hey Babe. Didn't I see you earlier this morning?" he asked her, as if he didn't know.

"Well, yeah, yeah you did, don't you remember?"

"Well I was just making sure. No problem with that eh?"

He gave Tifa a sly grin.

She looked at him, and noticed that his eyes where the deepest color of green she had ever seen. She loved exotic eyes, and this pair was the best she had seen, except for Vincent's, which where a strange mix of red and green, a little like her own, which where brown, but exhibited a hue of red in the right light.

"What are you staring at?" he asked Tifa, cocking his head at a jaunty angle.

"Um... Your eyes are...beautiful..." Tifa faltered in her sentence.

"Yah, I get that a lot..." He smiled, and then grinned again.

"The name's Clyde. I'm from Costa del Sol. But I moved to Midgar when I heard of Sector Seven's collapse. I thought I might be of some help."

He then noticed something about her face.

"You've been crying. Something up?" he asked gingerly, and with general concern.

"Um...No. Nothing important... I don't want to discuss it." Her eyes darkened, and he dropped the subject.

"What's your name?" he inquired.

"Tifa. Tifa Lockheart." She extended her hand out to him, and he shook it, noticing her strong grip.

"You work out?"

"Yeah."

"Could I see your muscles?" he asked, like a little boy.

"Sure."

She flexed her arm, and he watched as the muscle responded.

"Damn, you look like you could take out a wall with those arms!" he said joyously, giving them a gentle squeeze.

She laughed, because of the shock that had crossed his face.

"You think it is funny that I think you're strong?"

"No! I think your face is funny!" She gave another chuckle, as Clyde did a double take, and then noticed that she was joking, and gave a sigh of relief.

"You gave me a spin there! I thought you were serious!" His panicked look faded, and he grinned again to show that there were no hard feelings.

"I was! But only because you looked so shocked that I was this strong!"

Again he looked concerned, and then when she finished her sentence, he felt the weight of uneasiness lift from his shoulders.

"I need to get going, it was nice talking to you. Maybe we could get a drink sometime?" He looked hopefully at her.

"Um...Sure! That would be wonderful!" She smiled at him, giving a reassuring nod.

"Wow! Really! Thanks!" His smile was energetic, and he wanted to jump for joy.

"How about this Saturday, at the Tavern Hill Bar?" he asked, trying his luck.

"Sure I like the Tavern, and Saturday would be great."

"At about 5:00pm?"

"Good with me. I'll see you then Clyde." She chuckled and then waved goodbye to Clyde, and departed for the apartment.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Clyde walked back to his friend, a new spring in his step.

"Guess what Greg?" He looked at his dark haired friend with a grin.

"What?" was the gruff reply.

"You know that beautiful girl we saw this morning?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Well... I got a date with her!"

"WHAT? I WANTED TO ASK HER!" his friend shouted loudly.

"Listen, you need to find someone your own age there Pops!"

"I'm only forty! That is young!"

"Yeah, and she's like twenty something, like me! She'd be a trophy wife for you Old Man!"

"That's all women are good for, jackass! Have I taught you nothing about women? They are not to be trusted!"

"Well, she is different! I think she will do the trick nicely!"

"Yeah, you just want to screw her!"

"That's all you wanted! Don't force your fantasies on me! I just want to get to know her... I respect women!"

"For all that, they have ruined your life! Remember that bitch Rona? She did you wrong! Or that klutz, Phoena, she was an imbecile!"

"But Greg, she is different! You should see her eyes! They are the weirdest shade of brown. They looked almost red in the light!"

"Yeah, that means that she is going to be a demon-bitch, the worst kind out there! You'd better watch yourself with this one; she'll kill you in an instant."

"Shut up! You are being a King-kamehameha-Beeotch! I'm sick of your stupid sexism! You are out of control little man! You may be my elder, but you will never tell me what to do! I am an independent adult now. Don't give me your bullshit thoughts! I am not a child anymore!" Clyde looked at the older man with a look that would burn iron.

"You are as stupid as your father! You'll marry a psychotic woman, who will kill you in your sleep, and then kill herself! Do you want to be like your father?"

Clyde punched his friend in the nose, his fist making full contact; he felt the cartilage crack under the blow.

His friend stumbled backwards, and then collapsed.

"Don't you ever insult my father in front of me ever again! He married mom because he loved her! He still loved her even when he found out that she was Schizophrenic! He died because she was in pain. I understand that. My mother would never have done that without a good reason!"

"Bullshit. She killed him out of cold blood! You know that!" Greg said as he clutched his broken nose, which was bleeding profusely all over his clothes.

Clyde contemplated punching Greg out, and leaving him there for the raccoons to find, but decided against it.

Instead, he smiled at Greg, and said, "Just shut up. Tifa is going out with me. Don't be jealous." And he walked away, before Greg could answer.

Tifa got back to the apartment, and the group welcomed her.

"Where have you been?" asked Yuffie, as she saw a slight change in Tifa's behavior.

"I took a walk... I'm fine."

"You look really happy though."

"Is that a problem?"

"No. I was just curious," said Yuffie with self-indignation.

"That's okay... If you come with me, and I can trust you to keep a secret, then I'll tell you... I need to tell someone."

"You can trust me," Yuffie said.

"I can't, but I think you're the only person who would understand," Tifa said sadly.

"Really? I thought you couldn't trust me? Why would you tell me something, that you don't want the others to know about, when you can't trust me?"

"Come," Tifa said, leading Yuffie into the pantry and shutting the door.

When the door was shut, Tifa listened at the door, and checked to make sure no one was near by.

"Listen Yuffie, I talked to this guy, his name was Clyde, and he asked me to go to the Tavern Hill with him... I want to, but I have a little problem... Cloud..." Tifa smiled, feeling embarrassed.

"I knew it!" shouted Yuffie.

"Shhh, not so loud!" Tifa said.

"I would try Clyde, and see if you like him, and if not then break it off," Yuffie said.

"But the problem is that Clyde is just a nice guy, he can't compare to Cloud."

"Yeah, Spiky is hot, but that doesn't mean that he has a better personality than Clyde... I personally think Spiky is a little boring..."

"He is not! And I don't like him just because he's hot! He has a fascinating personality! I think he is a great man!" Tifa cried out.

"Trust me... Try Clyde, and if it doesn't work, then leave!"

"Okay... I'll do it." Tifa said with resolution in her voice.

"Good! Now you can take your mind off of Cloud and Aeris! Don't worry about those two!" Yuffie grinned happily.

Tifa looked at the clock, and saw it was now 2:30 pm; it was almost 24 hours until her date with Clyde.

"I'm sad that Cloud didn't choose me... I loved that man for what felt like a thousand years! I thought he might have noticed it, but he hadn't at all! I made me feel less like a human, and more like a prostitute! I thought I was just something pretty to look at, and nothing more..." Tifa said a look of sadness crossed her beautiful face.

"Don't worry! Tifa, this Clyde guy seems to think of you as something more than a pretty thing to look at! I think he sees your potential. So don't worry!" Yuffie gave Tifa a reassuring smile.

That was enough for Tifa, she smiled, and gave Yuffie a hug, opening the pantry door, and beckoning to Yuffie, and then leaving the room, and going into the kitchen for some food.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Mean while, Aeris and Cloud snuggled for a quite five minutes, and then went to get some lunch. They ate together in silence, and just enjoyed each other's company.

Cloud munched on a sandwich, and Aeris ate some soup.

They where being watched though, by Cid and Cait Sith, who where hiding behind the door case.

Cid watched, and smiled at the cat on top of the mog.

"Hey, don't you think that they make a cute couple? And man is Aeris hot!" Cait Sith said jovially to Cid.

"Yeah, cute is the word for it. I'm happy for Cloud. I think it's good that he finally expressed his feelings. He has come a long way from the old Cloud that I knew briefly." Cid gave an appreciative smile to his conspirator.

"I think they should get to the next phase of their relationship and make love!" Cait Sith murmured.

"Um?" Cid questioned.

"O! Did I say that out loud?" Cait Sith looked embarrassed, and turned away, hiding his face with a single white paw.

"Yeah little guy, you did... You are a strange one!" Cid grinned.

"Cid! Cait Sith! I can hear you quite clearly... I know you are there, so come out and explain yourselves!" came Cloud's voice from the other room.

Cid and Cait Sith gave a start, and both ran into the other trying to escape.

But before Cid could leave, Cloud had shown up, and was looking with a disapproving eye at his teammate.

"What exactly are you doing?" He questioned Cid.

"Um... I was actually just... Leaving. Yeah, just leaving! Don't worry none about us!" Cid said, not liking the look he was receiving.

"Give me a break! You where watching Aeris and I eating food! Why?"

"Um... Me and Cait Sith had a bet."

"Do I even want to know?" Aeris said as she came in.

"They where betting on something..." Cloud said.

"Hmmm… Maybe I don't want to know." Aeris laughed.

"We just bet on who would kiss whom first... I bet that it would be Cloud, and Cait Sith said it definitely would be you." Cid said sheepishly.

"Why would you bet on something like that?" Aeris wondered aloud.

"'Cause we where getting bored here. We haven't seen any action for a couple of days, and we thought it might be fun to see who was right. No harm in that right?" Cid said, a little panicked at the face Cloud made at the explanation.

"Really?" was all Cloud said.

"On my honor."

"Okay, I believe you, you don't have to look so worried." Cloud chuckled, as he saw the panic spread across Cid's face.

Cid expelled the breath he had been holding in a great sigh of relief.

He slowly stopped looking as sheepish as he had, and calmed down from the panicked state he had achieved.

"Oh... That's nice. At least you aren't going to kill me like I thought you might... So I can live to see the light of another day?" Cid said jokingly.

"He'd better not kill you." Yuffie said, giving Cloud a stern look, and then laughing when she saw his shocked expression.

"Like I'd kill one of my teammates!" Cloud said with indignation.

"Just saying that you'd better not." Yuffie gave a giggle, as she saw Cloud's confusion.

"Spiky, you never learn do you?" she looked sympathetically at Cloud, and shook her head. "You are a lost cause!"

"I don't appreciate you saying that Cloud is a lost cause. It's not true and you know it!" Aeris said angrily, defending Cloud's honor because she knew he would not.

"He knows what I mean don't you Spiky?"

"Yeah, I do. Unfortunately." Cloud said with a blank voice.

"Why so enthusiastic?" Yuffie inquired.

"I just don't get why you'd bring that up when I am doing so well." Cloud looked at Yuffie with curiosity.

"Heh. It's okay. You'll understand later." Yuffie gave Cloud a casual smile, and left the room.

Cloud looked around, and his gaze fell on Aeris.

He watched her for a moment, because she was deep in contemplation, and he was curious to find out what she had been thinking about.

"_Maybe this was what she was talking about. Aeris is acting a little odd, and I don't know why. But then again, everyone is acting differently than they did when we first met. But Aeris' behavior seems to be almost erratic._" Cloud mused on what Yuffie meant, and concluded that this may not have been what she was indicating.

Aeris gave a start, and looked around the room to see what was going on.

"Did I miss something?" She looked at Cloud with the face of a lost person.

"No. I was just standing here and thinking. What where you thinking about?"

Cid looked confused.

"What the hell is going on?" He shook his head, so as to clear his thoughts.

"Nothing. I am just trying to come to terms with something." Aeris said happily.

"Your face said otherwise." Cloud gave her a worried look, but kept his comments to himself.

"Aeris, weren't you in the room listening to the conversation?" Cid still looked confused, but he was beginning to worry as well now.

"My mind must have just dosed off, that's all." Aeris replied, but something in her eyes made Cloud think there was more to it than that.

"We'll talk later Aeris, okay?" he gave her a smile, and a gentle peck on the forehead, before going back to thinking about what he had been earlier.

"But there is nothing to talk about Cloud. I just spaced that is all."

"Okay, but I still want to talk later." Cloud gave her a stern look, and folded his arms over his chest, eyes leveled with Aeris'.

"Okay." She answered, lowering her gaze to the floor, looking like a reprimanded child.

Cid just gave up on trying to understand what was happening, tossed it all on the fact that they where having a couples feud, and left the room, not liking the tension that was slowly building up in the room.

"Sorry Aeris. I should not have spoken to you in that tone. I was just mad that you did not tell me what was really going on."

"It was wrong of me to keep this from you, but I did not want to panic Cid! I most certainly was not lying; I wanted to keep chaos from ensuing within the group! I don't think it would make sense to tell them about what I told you, and about how I am going to be leaving soon! I also did not want to tell them that I might die on this trip! Do you think that this would have made it easier for the group to continue on? I don't think that I should just drop this on them either. It would be better to tell all of them, rather than just one, and letting the gossip go around." Aeris said, barely taking a breath between sentences.

Cloud just looked at her, then thought about what she had said.

"I think that you made the right choice, but when you said that there was nothing to talk about, I thought you where trying to keep something away from me as well."

"No, no, no! I wasn't sure how you would take it, but I thought it would be smart pretend that it was nothing, so that I didn't rouse any ones suspicions."

"Oh. I see." Cloud said, with a slightly apathetic tone to his voice.

"Hmm. Well I see that you care."

"I do. I just hadn't thought things through."

"Okay. But you see where I am coming from now?"

"Yes."

"Good." Aeris flashed a smile at Cloud, and then looked at the time.

"My! It is 4:10 now! We have been talking for more than two hours!"

She looked at Cloud, as if expecting something, but when he gave her a quizzical look, she just shook her head, and left the room, not bothering to explain what she wanted.

Cloud watched after her, unsure of what he had done wrong, but figured he could talk with her about that later as well.

He turned to leave, his stomach giving a loud groan of protest, for he had not eaten much since breakfast.

"Man, I am hungry!" he said thoughtfully as he rubbed his aching gut.

He left the room as well, in search of some sustenance to fill him up with.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The group had supper at 5:45, and then everyone went to do different things.

Vincent went to the spare room, and Barret, Cid, and Yuffie went to the bar. Tifa and Red Xlll talked quietly in the corner, because they had become closer due to the fiasco in the Shin-Ra building. Cloud and Aeris went to the bedroom, and Cait Sith sat alone, tossing a couple of dice against the wall, while he contemplated what the group might choose to do next.

Cloud and Aeris sat together on the bed; Cloud's eyes scanned the room while Aeris' where glancing now and then at him.

"So, what was occupying you a little while ago?" Cloud inquired.

"You know."

"Yes I do, but what about it?"

"Why I am leaving, and what it is that I must do. I know that I have Holy, which is White Magic, and that it is the ultimate good magic, while Meteor is Black Magic, and the ultimate evil magic. I know that Holy and Meteor are polar opposites; Holy preserves the planet, while Meteor destroys. I know that my ancestors had the power to summon forth Holy, and that it was to only be used in the presence of Meteor. I think that this is my fate, to summon Holy to defend the planet. But I think that Sephiroth will try to stop me. I must go to the Temple of the Ancients, and do the sacred ritual to call Holy and make a shield against Meteor." She explained to Cloud, who did not understand what she was saying exactly.

"What do you mean by this?"

"I am to go to the Temple, to summon Holy, because Sephiroth is going to use Meteor. You told me this when you said, that you thought Sephiroth wanted to become one with the planet, by smashing Meteor into Earth, to make a huge wound, that the Life Stream would try to heal. You said, 'He wants to see us dead, and to destroy the world, so he can become a god. He thinks that he'll have more power if he joins with the Life Stream.' I must prevent that from ever happening! If he did, then the world as we know it would end. I am the guardian of this planet; I intend to do my job... Even if it costs me my life!" Aeris' eyes flashed with a bright fire as she finished her explanation.

Cloud gave her a sad look.

"But you won't die." He protested, not wanting to believe what she was telling him.

"No one knows what is to happen. I fear dark things are going to happen, and that I must stop them. You are to defeat Sephiroth, while I am to rid the universe of Meteor. The life of an entire planet is in our hands Cloud. The fate of the world is hanging on the outcome of our actions. If I must die to protect what my ancestors believed was sacred, then I will! I don't want to die, but I do not fear death. I must continue on! I will be leaving in exactly one month. Don't try to stop me, and please don't tell anyone else." Aeris shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

Cloud looked at Aeris silently, a tear rolling down his cheek, and falling quietly to the floor.

"I'm going to Aeris. Sephiroth is my enemy as well. I will confront him at the Temple, and kill him there. You will not die while I am with you." Cloud said in an undertone, as more tears followed the first.

"No Cloud. I must go alone." She replied.

"But..." Cloud began.

"No! You will not come!" Aeris looked at Cloud desperately. "Don't follow me either! Promise me you won't follow me Cloud?" She pleaded to him, her eyes filling with tears as well.

"No. I can't promise not to follow. You are part of my team, and as the leader, I must protect my group."

"What about the rest of them?" Aeris countered.

"They have each other. Barret is a good leader, and he was the leader until I came into the picture."

"So! They need you to be there for them Cloud! You can't just say you are leaving, and that you will be back soon! They won't be able to go on without you!"

"No, I would not say that. You are the only one here who is saying that they are going to leave, but you aren't saying that you'll be coming back. I am going with you. It is not easy to persuade me to leave you all by yourself, while the others would have six others to watch their backs! Do you think it is good to do this thing on your own?"

"Yes. This ritual is sacred. I must do it is solitude. You should not come."

"I somehow think this is not a truth." Cloud said with a note of pain in his somber voice.

"Well, it isn't, but I still don't want you to come."

"But I am." He said quietly.

"NO!" Aeris turned to leave, but Cloud put his hand on her shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Aeris, please hear me out."

"All you are going to say is that you must protect your team, and that you will go no matter what I say, ask or demand! I don't need to hear that anymore! I get it already!" Aeris gave Cloud a look of impatient fury, and waited for him to release her.

"Aeris! I know you are afraid! Maybe not of death, but of what might happen to me if you where to die. Know this, if this is the only thing you get out of this conversation, other than that I am a stubborn bastard, just know this: I will move on. But I will carry the grief in my heart. I will not let it hinder me until this whole thing is over. I will then properly mourn."

Aeris looked at Cloud with tears in her eyes. He had found the one thing that hurt her most.

She broke down entirely after he had finished his sentence.

Her knees gave, and she began to fall, but was caught by the reassuring arms of the person she loved.

Cloud turned her around slowly, and then cradled her to him, and let her cry.

He went to the bed and sat down, holding Aeris while she purged herself of the deep-set fear in her heart.

He could do nothing more than that.

After about a half hour of crying, Aeris fell asleep, and Cloud lay her lovingly onto the bed, removed her boots, and covered her with the down blanket.

He left, and went down to the others; he needed to tell them, so that they could decide what they wished to do about the situation. He needed to get their support on this.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Cloud came down to find that the group had assembled at the bottom of the stairs.

"Is everything all right?" Tifa asked.

"How much did you hear?" Cloud looked with anger at the group.

"We heard it all man." Cid said

"What...? Why... Why where you listening!" Cloud's eyes flashed dangerously at Cid, who looked at Cloud with a cool, nonchalant demeanor.

"We where worried." Said Red Xlll.

"So now you know?" Cloud asked, not wanting to believe that his friends had been listening to his private conversation.

"We agree Cloud. We will back your effort to save Aeris from a horrid fate. She does not deserve to die." Vincent spoke softly to Cloud, his eyes gleaming in an odd way.

"Pal, we're with you. You just tell us what to do, and we'll follow it to the letter." Barret rumbled.

"I hate to say this, but I am hungry." Intoned Cait Sith, with a serious look on his small feline face.

"Now is not the time Cait!" warned Red Xlll.

"When will we be going then?" Yuffie posed.

"Well, she said one month... But I don't know if she really meant it." Cloud replied with uncertainty reflected plainly in his voice.

"We will go immediately, if she should leave without our knowing it, so we should be ready." Vincent stated.

"Go idea Vince." Cid gave Vincent a smile, his large teeth gleaming in the hall light.

"Don't call me Vince." Vincent declared, his voice slightly acidic, though he hadn't intended it to come out that way.

"Did I do something wrong?" Cid pleaded, shocked by the tones of anger and pain in Vincent's voice.

"No. I'm sorry I snapped so suddenly. But that name brings back hard memories for me, and I was responding to the memories. You could not have known." Vincent's tone had returned to its usual somber and morose inflection.

"No need to become depressed man. I was just shocked by the resentment in your voice." Cid replied, feeling better that he had not been the one to cause such anger in a usually calm man.

"So, I guess that means that we will be leaving within the month?" Yuffie inquired.

"Yes. Maybe sooner." Cloud said.

"I'll be going too." Cait Sith said, waving his small paws in the air.

"Why would we bring fricken traitor like you with us?" Barret growled at Cait.

"Well... uhh... cause I can tell the future?" Cait said, scrambling to find some reason for them to bring him.

"Bullshit!" Barret said, waving a fist at the cat riding on a moogle doll.

"Barret. That's enough." Cloud graced Cait with a slight look of apprehension.

"I'm not working for them anymore Cloud! Please let me go!" Cait Sith cried, clasping his paws together like a person might.

"You can come, but don't interfere."

"I won't." Cait said, a look of relief filling his eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mean while, Aeris had woken up from her emotional slumber her eyes opening, as she stretched.

Then she heard voices down stairs, arguing about something, so she eavesdropped.

"Yes. Maybe sooner." Came a voice that sounded like Cloud

"I'll be going too." What sounded like Cait Sith said.

"Why would we bring fricken traitor like you with us?" Was Barret's obvious reply.

Cait's reply was too quiet to hear, and Aeris cocked her head to try and hear it.

"Bullshit!" Barret said.

"Barret. That's enough." Cloud said as a reprimand to Barret's outburst.

"_What're they arguing about?_" Aeris thought, getting up to go to the bathroom.

Then it donned on her.

"_They all know that I'm leaving! Oh, what am I going to do? This could be a disaster!_" She worried, running to go down stairs.

"_Maybe I should leave earlier..._" Was her last thought before she left her room to go down stairs.

When she appeared at the top of the stairs, the argument quickly died.

"Why's everyone at the bottom of the stairs?" She asked innocently, trying to put a look of curiosity on her face.

"We where... talking." Cloud said, scratching his head.

"About what?" She hazard to ask.

"About... About you."

"Why?"

"Well..."

"Yes?" She said, enjoying teasing Cloud as he tried to come up with an excuse.

"I..."

"You where telling the group about how I was leaving, right?" She smiled with a guiltless smile.

"Yes."

"So, I suppose you've told them that I might not come back?"

"Actually, we heard it while you two where talking in your room." Vincent said, his red eyes gleaming in the light.

"Oh... You listened to our conversation? So... What are you going to do then?" She asked them, her eyes staring at them almost defiantly.

"We plan on following you." Cloud intoned.

"Oh... But I... I asked you to... You shouldn't follow! You need to keep going! Please don't..." Aeris cried, her face full of sadness as she watched the others band together with Cloud.

"We can't let you die Aeris... You're part of the group." Vincent said, his somber voice carrying a slight tone of sorrow in it.

"NO! Please don't come... You're all too stubborn to know what's best... I'll ask you one last time, please don't follow me." She said, her tone going form sadness to defiance.

"We can't let you die! You aren't going to die! You a fool to think that you're going to die." Barret said vehemently, punching his fists toward the ground.

"None of you understand what this is... I have one purpose in this life, and I'm going to fulfill it, whether I die or not! Please understand." She pleaded, her voice trembling as if she where on the verge of tears.

"Yeah! No one's dieing here! I won't allow it!" Yuffie said, pointing an accusing finger at Aeris.

"But..." Aeris began, but Cid interrupted her.

"Little Missy! We, Avalanche won't let you die. As long as the sky's above us we'll be there to protect you."

"You don't under..." Aeris tried again, but Tifa interrupted her this time.

"Of course we understand! You don't want us to feel like we where responsible for you... But we're here for each other, and the group has decided that you're worth saving! So of course we'll help you, even if you might not want it."

"I agree with Tifa... We can't let you go off on your own, and let you get hurt. It would make us feel even more responsible for you if we did... At least if we're there, we can attempt to help." Red said, nodding to Aeris for emphasis.

"Let me explain..."

"Damn it Aeris! Don't you get it? We're here to stay!" Barret growled, hoping that she'd finally see that she had help.

"You don't have to do this alone." Vincent added.

"Will you let me speak?" Aeris almost shouted, but managed to recover before she did.

"Okay, but I don't think that you're going to change our minds." Yuffie said, her tone skeptical, and her eyes full of determination.

"Okay... I was chosen back before time began, to unearth Holy against Meteor. Now, I know that I must go to the Temple, and summon forth its powers to stop the giant rock in the sky from destroying the planet. The thing is that the final part of the Ceremony is to shed the blood of an innocent over the Life Stream... I don't know if death is a requirement but I know that Sephiroth is going to try and stop me... I don't wish to die, but I will if it ensures the safety of the world from Meteor." Aeris replied, trying to explain the situation to the others.

"But you don't know if death is the answer... We should go with you to ensure that you make it to the Temple." Red said, sincerity burning in his eyes.

"I can handle it myself. Really, I'm not as fragile as you all think I am." Aeris chuckled, her sour mood dissolving into her giggles.

"That's not the point Aeris... We're trying to help you get through this, preferably alive." Cloud said.

"But..."

"Really... We want to help." Tifa said.

"I know... But I think it is in your best interest to keep going..."

"We're going, and that's final." Cloud said decisively, ending the argument quickly and efficiently.


End file.
